• Require every Washingtonian to stay home unless they need to pursue an essential activity.
• Ban all gatherings for social, spiritual and recreational purposes.
• Close all businesses except essential businesses.
• Washington's Phased Approach: Phase 1 Starts Tuesday, May 5th.
• *NEW* On Friday May 8th, Governor Jay Inslee announced the opening of curb-side retail and issued guidelines allowing retailers to begin curbside delivery throughout Washington State. The Governor issued a memo and specific guidelines of curbside delivery protocols. Watch the full announcement here.
•  *NEW* Effective May 11, 2020, Governor Jay Inslee released new guidelines for partially resuming the Dine-In Restaurant and Tavern Industry in Phase 2 of Washington’s Phased Approach to reopening the economy. 

• *NEW* Restricted Pre-Mixed Cocktails Allowance for Curbside Pick-Up or Delivery In addition to the current delivery allowances, effective May 6th, restaurants with a Spirits, Beer, and Wine (S/B/W) license issued by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) may sell pre-mixed alcoholic drinks (“cocktails”) for consumption off the licensed premises during the COVID-19 Stay Home – Stay Healthy Order. Read more here.

• *NEW* King County COVID-19 Handbook for Creative Industries This handbook brings together resources to support the arts and culture community; and to prepare for recovery.

•  *NEW* The Department of Health has developed a business signage toolkit with business communication resources to address common concerns about the coronavirus. All resources are completely free to use and distribute as you wish.

• *NEW* Washington Retail Association's COVID Safety Operational Plan provides a list of requirements and recommendations from Washington State’s Department of Health, Labor and Industries, and the federal government’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, outlining safety planning procedures to protect employees and customers.

• The Alliance for Pioneer Square has introduced a new section on our website to help provide businesses guidance and resources for best practices as they prepare to reopen their doors to customers.

• Seattle Sounders FC announced that the club is launching a targeted relief effort in the fight against COVID-19. The organization is establishing the Seattle Sounders FC Relief Fund, aimed primarily at supporting individuals, non-profits and small businesses in the neighborhoods surrounding CenturyLink Field that have been adversely impacted by the postponement of the 2020 MLS season due to the current public health crisis. These districts include SoDo, Pioneer Square and the Chinatown-International District. The current grant cycle is open through May 12. Apply for the Fund here by end of day today.

• SBA Offers Disaster Assistance to Washington Small Businesses Economically Impacted by the Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• OED provides technical assistance to businesses applying for SBA loans and understanding the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aids, Relief & Security). This includes helping businesses navigate the application process and documentation. For general inquiries, please email OED@seattle.gov or call 206-684-8090.
• Applicants may apply online, receive additional disaster assistance information and download applications here.
• Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. Note, the deadline to apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan is Dec. 16, 2020.
• The City of Seattle’s Office of Economic development has compiled a summary of the CARES Act and a SBA FAQ.

• The SBA, under the Paycheck Protection Program, is a offering loans designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll. SBA will forgive loans if all employees are kept on the payroll for eight weeks and the money is used for payroll, rent, mortgage interest, or utilities. The Paycheck Protection Program will be available through June 30, 2020.

• As closures, cancellations, and loss of work due to COVID-19 impact the King County cultural sector, 4Culure Cultural Relief Fund will distribute $1 million over the coming months. The first round of funding will be distributed beginning April 1 through May 15. Apply at any time within that time frame. 

• *NEW* The City of Seattle's Office of Economic Development (OED) Food Business program is hosting weekly orientation sessions about permitting and licensing for individuals wanting to open or expand their food businesses and connects people to small business development resources. Hosted by Jennifer Tam, Food Business Advocate at the OED, the presentation also provides information on how businesses can operate and navigate through the requirements and regulations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more about the OED's Food Businesses workshops here.

• *NEW* Grow with Google (GWG) hosted its small biz livestream on Wednesday, May 6th to share the latest resources from Google and other partners to help support small businesses. Here's a recording of the livestream and virtual learning kit that includes social share graphics for small businesses, handouts and tips and a one-sheet covering the key points discussed during the livestream. GWG also rounded up (and answered!) the top questions that were asked on Twitter.

• Yelp has announced $25 million in relief, primarily focused on supporting independent, local restaurant and nightlife businesses, in the form of waived advertising fees and free advertising, products, and services during this period. Information on what options are available and eligibility can be found here.

• Interaction Design Association (IxDA) Seattle is pairing local creatives with small businesses and organizations in the greater Seattle area, offering volunteer support to help businesses adapt during COVID-19. Volunteers can provide guidance and help with: customer experience, communication strategies, and implementation. Review project guidelines and a full list of services here.

• OED Resource Hub: OED has created a comprehensive resource page for workers and small businesses impacted by COVID-19 and is providing technical assistance to support small businesses. News and information about new policies and resources available from the City of Seattle, the State of Washington, the federal government, and our philanthropic partners can be found on the OED's weekly Bottom Line blog.

• OED is hosting weekly informational webinars for small businesses to share new developments, hear about impacts experienced due to COVID-19 and answer questions. Businesses can join the OED every Wednesday, from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Register here for the next webinar and visit here for this week’s recording.

• The Office of the Mayor has created a page contains information and links for City of Seattle programs and services that may be helpful for residents significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

• The Federal Government has launched a comprehensive webpage for small business owners to research their options.

• The Alliance for Pioneer Square is hosting a virtual information session on Friday, May 22nd from 1:30-2:30p on the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on Pioneer Square, relief and resources available from the City State and Federal government to all those impacted by the crisis, and the Alliance’s response to support our neighborhood. RSVP here to attend (note, a Zoom link will be provided on Thursday, May 21st to those who RSVP). Find previous meeting slides and webinar recordings here.

• On Thursday, April 16th, the Alliance for Pioneer Square hosted a one hour workshop in partnership with Merchant Method, aimed at providing a video marketing toolkit for businesses in Pioneer Square. The live-streaming of this workshop can still access a recording of the the presentation here. Additional training resources which can be downloaded here to further assist businesses as they scale up their video marketing efforts.

• The Alliance for Pioneer Square, in collaboration with DEI Creative, has launched an online marketplace as a tool for member businesses to generate revenue through online sales during the Coronavirus pandemic. Read DEI Creative's full press release about Support Local here.To participate in the Pioneer Square Marketplace, register your business here.

• As the neighborhood continues to navigate the ongoing impacts of COVID-19, we want to offer an opportunity to reconnect. Click here to join the Pioneer Square Business Owners and Managers Facebook page.

• *NEW* The City of Seattle Office of Economic Development, Greater Seattle Partners, and the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce have released the second round of the COVID-19 Business Impact Survey to better understand how deeply the COVID-19 outbreak is impacting our regional economy. Business owners, nonprofits, and independent workers who participated in the initial round of the survey are encouraged to participate in round two; however, participation in round one is not required to complete the second round. The survey will be open until May 21, with the third and final round set to open by early June. Take the survey here

• The City of Seattle has capped Third-Party delivery app commission fees at 15 Percent. On Friday, mayor Jenny Durkan announced an emergency order capping third-party, app-based delivery platforms’ commission fees at 15 percent until unrestricted in-house dining returns. The policy requires that drivers receive 100 percent of tips, and it is illegal for third-party delivery companies to reduce driver pay rates in response to the new rules. This commission cap will allow restaurants that may not have considered these apps to transition to a third-party delivery service without facing further financial stressors.

• The Washington Nightlife & Music Association’s (WANMA) independent music venues have joined forces with the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), to collectively urge Congress to help protect the music industry. To lend your support contact your Senators and Representatives and let them know you support NIVA here and WANMA here. WANMA has also put together a quick and easy guide with key points to include in the call/email. Click here to email Senators, Representatives and all Washington State elected officials.