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COVID-19 Key Resources
If you missed our prior updates, visit our website . 


The UMA’s Center for Business and Continuous Improvement is gathering information to help Utah manufacturers deal with the latest COVID-19 related information. UMA’s Center exists to directly help Utah manufacturing companies enhance their competitiveness, productivity, and performance.

If you have any questions you would like addressed in future updates, or feedback about this information, please contact the UMA Center Director, Ryan Mecham at ryanm@umaweb.org .
Manufacturing Sector Protocols Responding to COVID-19

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the following letter to the National Association of Manufacturers dated March 27, 2020. 

Dear Mr. Timmons: 

Thank you for your recent letter regarding protocols specifically designed for the manufacturing sector to respond to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). We understand that you have ongoing concerns about this rapidly evolving situation. I am responding on behalf of the U.S. government.  

Manufacturing is an essential industry and part of our nation’s critical infrastructure. The importance of the business community during this time cannot be overstated, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has provided interim guidance for the business community, which is applicable to the manufacturing sector. This guidance is based on what is currently known about COVID-19. The agency will update this interim guidance as needed and as additional information becomes available. 

Additional Guidance from the National Association of Manufacturers

The following questions are answered here from the NAM. 

  1. If an employee in the manufacturing environment has a confirmed case of COVID-19, what are the proper protocols to prevent community spread?
  2. If an employee in the manufacturing environment has a confirmed case of COVID-19, what are the proper protocols to prevent community spread?
  3. Should a plant shut down as result of a COVID-19 case or outbreak?If a plant shutdown occurs, what is the recommended time offline to disinfect, and what is the appropriate timeframe to resume operations? 
  4. If an infected employee physically contacted manufacturing equipment, inputs and/or outputs, what steps are needed to disinfect the equipment, the raw materials and potentially the finished products?
  5. What are the recommended strategies and practices for a workplace quarantine if employees are becoming ill?
  6. If an employee is diagnosed with COVID-19, should the impacted facility expect a CDC investigation?If so, what should the facility expect in order to be prepared, and what type of interruption should be anticipated?
  7. Is the CDC developing a nationwide rapid home test for COVID-19 that could be deployed in the workplace?
  8. If community members outside of the workplace or facility are diagnosed with COVID-19, what procedures should be deployed to prevent community spread beyond the current interim guidance to businesses that the CDC has already provided?
If you missed our late Friday afternoon update, we recommend reviewing the following statement from Governor Gary Herbert…(especially, the Directives for For-Profit Organizations)
Stay Safe, Stay Home - Governor Herbert
DIRECTIVE TO THE STATE OF UTAH

THE GOVERNOR'S CORONAVIRUS DIRECTIVE FOR UTAH

"STAY SAFE, STAY HOME"

I would like to thank all Utahns who are already doing their part to slow the spread of COVID-19. These efforts are making an impact. It is time for us to do more.

I expect all Utah residents and businesses to follow these directives. They are necessary to keep Utah residents safe during the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. They will certainly result in disruptions to our lives, and that cannot be avoided. Those disruptions are a critical part of keeping ourselves safe. Following these directives now will avoid greater hardship later.

These directives establish minimum statewide standards. After consultation with, and consent of the State, local authorities may impose more stringent directives and orders to address the unique situations in different areas of Utah.

These directives are not to be confused with a shelter-in-place order. The following directives are in place until 11:59 p.m. on April 13, 2020.

Read the full declaration here
If you missed our late Friday afternoon update, we recommend reviewing the following update from Senator Lee on the CARES Act.
CARES Act - Senator Lee
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Impacts on Small and Mid-Sized Businesses

Senator Mike Lee’s (UT-R) office provided the following digest on March 26 on the CARES Act for Small and Mid-Sized businesses. 

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provides small and mid-sized businesses: (1) enhanced loans to cover payroll and fixed costs, (2) tax deferment, and (3) entrepreneurial assistance.

Small Business Administration (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program

The CARES Act provides loans to businesses with 500 employees or fewer (including restaurants/hotels with no more than 500 employees per physical location), self-employed individuals, and contractors to prevent workers from losing their jobs and businesses from going under due to losses caused by COVID-19.
  • Loan Terms: Eligible entities may apply for a loan equal to 2.5 times their average monthly payroll from 2019 or $10 million, whichever is less. Loans are interest-free for the first year, and then charge up to a 4% interest rate for out-years. Loans may be used towards payroll (capped at an annualized rate of $100,000 per employee), rent, mortgage interest, utilities, and interest on pre-existing debt.
  • Partial Loan Forgiveness: Any money spent within the first 8 weeks of receiving the loan (except on interest on pre-existing debt) will be forgiven. If the business reduces its number of employees, then the SBA reduces the amount of forgiveness by the same percentage. Likewise, if the business reduces the salary it pays to an employee earning less than $100,000 by more than 25%, the SBA reduces the amount of forgiveness on a dollar-for-dollar basis. Employers that restore their employment numbers and salaries by June 30, 2020 would experience no reduction in forgiveness.

Additional SBA Provisions:
  • All payments on principal, interest, and fees for SBA-issued loans undertaken before enactment of the bill will be covered by the SBA for six months.
  • The maximum amount for SBA Express loans (approved within 36 hours of application) is increased from $350,000 to $1 million.
  • Small businesses who have applied for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) may request a rapid advance (issued within three days of application) of up to $10,000 on the loan to cover paid sick leave, payroll, increased supply chain costs, rent/mortgage payments, and other obligations that cannot be met due to revenue loss.

Tax Deferment
Businesses and self-employed individuals (except some who take out forgivable loans under the SBA Paycheck Protection Program) may defer payroll tax payments for 2020, with 50% due on December 31, 2021 and 50% due on December 31, 2022. Tax payments for 2021 and 2022 are unchanged.

Entrepreneurial Assistance
The CARES Act provides additional funding for small business development centers, women’s business centers, and the Minority Business Development Agency. These organizations are available to help small businesses access federal assistance programs and advise businesses on how to manage the disruptions associated with COVID-19. You can connect with one of these organizations in Utah through these links:

Note: prior to the passage of the CARES Act, Congress passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) which applied new leave mandates on small and mid-size businesses. Please see our FFCRA one-pager for more information.
PPE Supply Chain
If you need a new supplier for certain PPE items (gloves, masks, hand sanitizer, etc.) you may want to contact Lisa "Leez" Osterstock with MarketShare, Inc. UMA does not endorse the business, but thought it may be helpful to some readers. 
Alert #1
Intermountain Healthcare is looking for the following supplies. Please contact Luminita Daniela Cherry at daniela.cherry@imail.org or at her office 801-442-3661 if you can help.

  1. PPE Products: Isolation Gowns, Exam Gloves, N95 Masks, Ear Loop Masks, Surgical Gowns, Face Shields, and Goggles.
  2. Polypropylene mesh: It provides the best anti-microbial protection (short of an N95 mask). IHC is trying to source 5,000+ KGs of polypropylene mesh/surgical wrap in large quantities to make medical grade face masks.
  3. Testing swabs. Nasopharyngeal swabs with synthetic tips and non-wooden shafts. Synthetic material only, size: 100 mm, 3.5 ML of transport media in the vial approximately. More product specification info here. 
  4. 500ml pump bottles to fill 3 1/8” diameter to contain hand sanitizer.
  5. Foam pads in 1” x 1” strips. See photo. Color is not relevant. 
Alert #2
Mountain West Medical Center in Tooele is looking for simple surgical masks (i.e. a simple, elastic, behind the ear style mask). Please contact Bard Mecham, Materials Manager at Bard_Mecham@quorumhealth.com .  

Sterilization wrap is an acceptable material to make the masks. Most companies are out of stock of the masks but you may be able to get the wrap fabric. Click here and here for potential sources.
If you would like to learn how UMA's Center can help you, please contact
Ryan Mecham, Director of UMA's Center for Business and Continuous Improvement, at ryanm@umaweb.org or 801-557-9105.

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Utah Manufacturers Association | Website