A 5-Star Accredited Chamber of Commerce
|
|
|
The following is our latest on coronavirus response and news:
- FIRST RE-OPEN FLORIDA TASK FORCE MEETING: Gov. DeSantis held the first meeting of the state task force charged with creating short, medium and long-term recommendations for reopening the state in three phases. The group -- whose members have not yet been announced -- is reported to be comprised of small business owners and locally elected officials. You can listen to the conference call HERE.
- OSHA COVID-19 ENVIRONMENT WEBINAR: The Florida Chamber’s Safety Council is presenting a complimentary webinar providing OSHA’s guidance during the COVID-19 crisis, including PPE and working from home safety measures. OSHA Compliance Assistant Specialist Joann Spencer will lead this complimentary program on April 22 from 10-11:30 a.m. Click here to register.
- LATEST INFECTION RATES: Alachua County now has 215 confirmed positive cases, as the number and rate of new cases is seeing a downward trend. For more information, visit the City's COVID-19 Dashboard.
For a more exhaustive list of
updates over the past two weeks, visit the Chamber's
COVID-19
page.
|
|
The Chamber's Together page is a landing page for anything you may want to know for how the community is addressing the COVID-19 crisis. Below are some examples of information you can find using our Together page.
- See what current policies in place are, including stay-at-home orders and ordinances on restaurant operations.
- Find out how to be tested for COVID-19.
- Review economic indicators from this past week to get perspective on the economy.
For more information on resources for small business, enacted regulations, and information on how to help, visit the Chamber's
Together page.
|
|
To submit an announcement or update, visit our
eJournal page
and scroll down. Please limit your message to 50 words, and include useful links if possible.
- Noachis Terra Inc., a biotechnology company focused on developing a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, announced today the location of its headquarters in Gainesville, FL. The company’s main office will be at UF Innovate | The Hub, a world-recognized leader in technology business incubation affiliated with one of the nation's leading research institutions, the University of Florida.
- A University of Florida-led international project to rapidly design and build a low-cost, DIY ventilator using hardware store parts is meeting preliminary milestones toward being approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for Emergency Use Authorization in case it is needed in the battle against COVID-19.
- Meridian Behavioral Healthcare recently secured a gift from a benefactor that provided funds to purchase 50 tablets along with 9 months of data, for each tablet. The tablets can be given to clients that have been isolated from treatment.
- Meldon Law provided deliveries of pizza from Leonardo's Millhopper to UF Health Shands to both day and night shifts on Thursday.
- Due to the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Florida Museum’s 2020 Summer Camps are cancelled. Refunds will be issued to all registrants. They are looking into offering online camp opportunities, stay tuned to our summer camps page for more information. For feedback on online opportunities, click here.
- Pomodoro Cafe's Meals for Alachua County First Responders program has delivered 300 meals to the sheriff's office and 235 meals to Gainesville Police. Upcoming visits include North Florida Regional Medical Center, the sheriff's office and Gainesville Fire Rescue.
- DEFY Gainesville is hosting a virtual lock-in on Friday, April 24 from 7 - 9 p.m. The live stream will feature competitions like Home Scavenger hunts, TikTok Dance Offs, talent shows and more. The live stream takes place on YouTube where viewers have the chance to join Zoom and appear on stream.
- Campus USA Credit Union provided meals from Napolatano's for UF Health Shands' Unit 74 on Thursday.
- The Gainesville Sports Commission provided 100 Carrabba's meals to UF Health workers Thursday evening.
- Sweetwater Branch Inn and the Climb for Cancer Foundation are collaborating to provide a safe place to stay for cancer patients so they are not having to worry about COVID-19.
- Westlab Pharmacy, an Accredited Compounding Pharmacy, is manufacturing an FDA-Approved formula for hand sanitizer which is available at their Gainesville location.
- Leonardo's of Millhopper donated pizzas for the night shift workers in the ICU and ED at North Florida Regional Medical Center.
- GRACE Marketplace's #stillhousingGNV campaign is raising funds to get people out of the shelter and into safe housing during this crisis. The first $15,000 in donations will be matched thanks to Infotech, Digital Brands, and the GRACE Board of Directors. Make your donation today at gracemarketplace.org/stillhousingGNV.
- Employees of The InterMed Group have "adopted" Antonio's Italian Restaurant by donating portions of their paycheck through automatic payroll deduction. Their aim is to support Antonio's while forced closures and reduced business make it hard for them.
- James Moore & Co. is providing topical information via a series of Lunch Videos. You can learn more here.
- The SBDC has created a new document outlining how small businesses can stay afloat during the pandemic. You can find that file here.
|
|
REMINDER
Are you hiring amid the coronavirus outbreak?
To ensure you find the best candidates, please contact Andrea Mender at
[email protected].
|
|
REMINDER
Hot Jobs through CareerSource NCFL
Each week, CareerSource North Central Florida staff members identify current
Hot Jobs that employers are eager to fill.
|
|
To apply for jobs listed:
- log on to www.employflorida.com
- Click on “Job Search” under “Quick Menu” on the left side of the page
- Select “Job Number Search” from the menu across the top of the page
- Enter the job number from the list above in the “job number” box
- Click on “search”
|
|
POLICY ANNOUNCEMENT
The Count Continues!
The 2020 Census is now
We are making strong progress with the 2020 Census. We’ve jumped ahead of both the state and the nation, with our completion rate at 51.8% (the nation stands at 50.7% and Florida at 48.9%.) Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to help our community!
You can keep track of how the completion numbers look in your neighborhood by clicking
here
.
Though April 1 was officially Census Day, that does not mean the count is over. That is simply the reference date to count those living in your household. Because of the pandemic, the U.S. Census does not have any census takers out in the field at this time, so it is even more important to go online or pick up the phone to complete your census. And we have never had a better reminder of just how important an accurate Census count is: the bulk of the $8.3 billion in funding coming into the state to date from the CARES Act is based on population count.
If you haven’t had a chance to do your Census, there’s no time like now, and please continue to remind your employees, co-workers, friends and family. Visit
www.2020census.gov
for all the information you need to complete your census. Remember, We’re Counting on You, Alachua County!
|
|
UPCOMING EVENT
Library District celebrates National Library Week with video contest
Sunday, April 19 - Saturday, April 25
The Alachua County Library District launched the Show Your Library Love video contest to celebrate 2020 National Library Week.
Participants can share videos on social media or directly with the library. Library staff members will choose three winners to receive library swag bags filled with goodies and highlight videos during National Library Week April 19-25. Winners will be announced on Sunday, April 26 on social media and
www.aclib.us
.
Here's how to enter:
- Create a short video (no more than 2 minutes). Please introduce yourself – share your name and what library you visit most often (example: My name is Emily Dickinson and I go to the Millhopper Branch). Then tell us why you love your library!
- Post your video on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, be sure to tag @alachualibrary and use the hashtag #showyourlibrarylove!
- Don't do social media? Share your video via WeTransfer to [email protected]. The Library District may share your video on social media and their website.
Follow the library on social media for more National Library Week festivities and videos from our community leaders – including a spotlight featuring Greater Gainesville Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Eric Godet. Visit
www.aclib.us/librarylove
.
|
UPCOMING EVENT
SERVPRO of Alachua County West disinfecting first responder vehicles April 23
Thursday, April 23, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Oaks Mall front parking lot
6419 Newberry Road, Gainesville
SERVPRO of Gainesville West/Alachua County West will be holding a free vehicle disinfecting for area First Responders on Thursday, April 23, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the front parking lot at The Oaks Mall.
Servpro technicians will offer microbial misting and towel wipe-down, according to CDC recommended standards for pathogen cleanup, throughout the vehicle while sanitizing supplies last.
|
MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENT
StartupGNV is now StartGNV
As with the relaunch from GAIN, this name change again signifies a new era with other changes in leadership, model, constituency, and programs – albeit more of an iteration vs a full reboot.
StartGNV:
– focuses on serving the tech community in addition to the startup community.
– continues to launch new programs, including virtual events in the face of COVID-19.
With a new name and a new website, the organization is excited to broaden their reach to support the Greater Gainesville innovation ecosystem.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
