CHAMBER VIEWS CANADIAN BORDER ACTION AS STRONG CALL FOR U.S. ACTION NOW |
"While any and all progress and clarification by either government is welcome after sixteen months of no planning, no transparency and little movement," says Garry Douglas, President of the North Country Chamber of Commerce, "the overwhelming takeaway from Canada's confirmation that fully vaccinated Americans will be allowed into Canada starting August 9th is the absence of a concurrent announcement by the U.S. Indeed, Canadian ministers were left to speculate about the U.S. when asked, demonstrating an appalling lack of coordination and sharing around something so immensely important."
The Canadian Government has now officially confirmed that fully vaccinated Americans will be allowed to cross the border for non-essential purposes starting August 9th. They will need to use the official on-line ArriveCan app beforehand to document their vaccination status and also have proof available upon crossing. A pre-test for COVID-19 will also be required, with additional random testing upon crossing.
"Now we find ourselves with Canadian officials guessing the U.S. might extend its restrictions as of July 21 but not being sure, and some contacts in Washington still hoping for some U.S. unilateral action by the 21st. What a way to run a border, let alone the most special and integrated bi-national economic and social relationship in the world," Douglas adds. "So we are left diving back into advocacy and outreach through all possible U.S. channels hoping progress now remains possible. The roller coaster ride continues."
Below is a link to the Youtube video of yesterday's press conference by Canadian Ministers.
|
|
NYS Coronavirus Update from Governor Cuomo |
After over a year of containing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are now being told that COVID is now mainly a pandemic among the unvaccinated. The vaccines work—even against the Delta variant. But they only work if you get them. If you haven't already, I encourage you to get your shot to help protect yourself and your loved ones against the Delta variant.
Here's what else you need to know:
1. COVID hospitalizations are at 378. Of the 69,665 tests reported yesterday, 823, or 1.18 percent, were positive. The 7-day positivity average was 1.26 percent. There were 70 patients in ICU yesterday. Of them, 30 are intubated. Sadly, we lost three New Yorkers to the virus.
2. As of 11am this morning, 73.9 percent of adult New Yorkers have received at least one vaccine dose, per the CDC. Over the past 24 hours, 22,627 total doses have been administered. To date, New York has administered 21,812,432 total doses with 67.4 percent of adult New Yorkers completing their vaccine series. See additional data on the State's Vaccine Tracker.
3. The Canadian border will reopen to fully vaccinated U.S. citizens on August 9. The Canadian government is finally reopening its borders and an open border with our neighbors to the North means families will be reunited once again and much-needed relief to our border communities that depends on cross-border trade and supply chains.
4. Get digital proof of your vaccination with Excelsior Pass. Excelsior Pass is a free and voluntary platform for businesses & individuals that can be used to easily access secure proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID test. Learn more about Excelsior Pass.
5. The pop-up vaccine sites at Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal have been extended. Individuals who get vaccinated at either of these pop-up sites can receive a free MetroCard or two one-way Metro-North or LIRR tickets.
"Deep Breath Moment": A new "turtle crossing" in Jefferson County will protect turtles from the threat of cars. Working in coordination with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, the Jefferson County Highway Department installed the first turtle crossing to help Blanding's turtles, a threatened species of turtle, travel between Chaumont Bay and Lake Ontario and safely avoid oncoming vehicles.
Ever Upward,
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
|
|
Safety Training: Hazwoper |
This Hazwoper course is the required 8-hour annual refresher class for persons engaged in hazardous waste operation and emergency response.
This course covers the requirements and information pertaining to OSHA standard 29CFR 1910.120 including health, safety, hazardous substances, toxicology and personal protective equipment.
Details:
-
Date: July 26, 2021
-
Time: 8:00am - 4:30pm
-
Instructor: Randall Holden
-
Cost: Free
-
Where: North Country Chamber of Commerce (7061 State Route 9, Plattsburgh)
|
|
August Business After Hours |
Join us on Thursday, August 12th at Taylor Rental Party Plus for Business After Hours.
Things to Know:
- Location of event is the Commercial Sales Outdoor Supply - Taylor Rental, 616 Route 3, Plattsburgh
- Pre-Registration is recommended
- Bring your Business Cards for the raffle
Come see what is happening at Taylor Rental Party Plus. Enjoy snacks, a beverage and quality networking!
Register or just stop on by!
|
|
Small Business Technical Assistance |
The North Country Chamber of Commerce was recently selected by New York State Empire State Development, the state's economic development agency, to provide no-cost technical assistance to North Country small business owners and to assist them with applying for the new New York State COVID-19 Small Business Recovery (SBR) grant program.
As part of our outreach to regional small business owners, on Tuesday, July 13th, staff from the North Country Chamber hosted office hours at our partner chamber, TACC, in Ticonderoga. From 10:30am to 3:30pm, Joel and Raechell from our staff met with small business owners to discuss their needs and eligibility for a variety of different COVID-19 financial assistance programs including the NYS COVID-19 SBR Grant Program, the Shuttered Venue Operator Grant (SVOG), and much more! Joel and Raechelle also took the time to canvas local businesses in downtown Ticonderoga to help spread the word about these important programs!
The North Country Chamber of Commerce would like to publicly thank Matt Courtright and the entire TACC team for partnering and hosting us!
***If you're a partner chamber/ organization that is interested in partnering with us for an informational webinar on the services we can provide or having our team host office hours at your location or you're a business owner who is interested in technical assistance, please contact Raechell Conn by clicking the button below!***
|
|
U.S. Chamber: Less than Half of Small Business Owners Can Find Workers |
Earlier this week, the U.S. Chamber and MetLife released the Q2 2021 Small Business Index —a survey of small businesses to take the temperature of the sector, see where small business owners are confident, and where they are experiencing challenges. The Q2 index in particular focused on how the worker shortage and lack of active recruitment are having effects on small business workflow.
- 48% of small businesses with 5-19 employees say it was hard to find enough candidates to fill open positions;
- Additionally, 44% of these sized businesses said it was hard to find candidates with the needed experience and 41% of them said it was hard to find workers with the right skills, and;
- 26% of businesses plan to find new ways to advertise or to increase pay (24%), while 22% of small businesses plan to offer more flexible working hours and 21% planning to offer a hybrid or remote work environment.
|
|
|
|
The North Country Chamber of Commerce has created a comprehensive list of resources to navigate state and local requirements. Check out the home page for details. There is also a series of webinars available for businesses to help educate and provide answers to common questions.
|
|
Today's Dose is Generously Supported By: |
|
-
NYS Vaccination Updates: Official Site for making an appointment to get the COVID-19 Vaccine.
-
Forward NY: Official State Website for opening procedures and guidelines.
-
NYS Travel Advisory: Stay up to date on the latest NYS Travel Advisory Updates.
-
Looking for Supplies: If your business is looking for hard to find protective products, we have created a list of businesses offering hand sanitizer, gloves, wipes, masks and other items.
-
SCORE: Small business owners are resilient and can power through this challenging time, with SCORE by their side.
|
|
Have Questions? We're here to help!
North Country Chamber of Commerce
518.563.1000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
