NYS is Downscaling Mass Vaccination Sites |
The Governor announced yesterday that four mass vaccination sites will cease operations as of Monday, July 19.
The four mass vaccination sites are:
- The Conference and Event Center Niagara Falls
- Plattsburgh International Airport
- SUNY Polytechnic Institute - Utica
- Jones Beach will cease operations
The State will reallocate resources on localized vaccination efforts in areas that have lower-than-average vaccination rates.
If you are looking for a place to schedule your first of second dose, there are still plenty of options available in the community and region. Please visit vaccines.gov to search for a vaccine location by area and type.
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Dubé Urges Quebecers to Move Up 2nd Vaccine Doses Before Sept. 1 |
In a tweet this afternoon, the minister noted more than 700,000 Quebecers have vaccination appointments booked after Sept. 1.
“I invite Quebecers to advance their appointments via Clic Santé before that date,” Dubé said, adding that a second dose can now be received four weeks after a first one, and that Pfizer and Moderna shots can be used interchangeably.
Dubé has said Quebec is now aiming for 80 per cent of the eligible population getting two doses, an increase from the original 75 per cent because of the rise of more transmissible variants.
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The Worker Shortage Crisis Continues |
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports data on job openings. At the end of May there were just over 9.2 million job openings in the economy. This is 16,000 more than in April. The small increase is not too surprising since businesses added more than 760,000 and more than 900,000 openings in March and April respectively. They have not been able to fill them, so it makes sense they would not necessarily add more while struggling to fill their existing openings.
Why it matters: The 9.2 million openings in May is an all-time record, smashing the previous record (prior to the pandemic) by 2 million openings.
Details: Since March 2020, openings have been rising steadily, but they have really accelerated in 2021. In the first five months of the year businesses have added 2.5 million openings, an average of 500,000 per month.
While job openings have been rising, the number of unemployed workers has been falling to the point where there are now almost as many job openings as there are unemployed workers.
The Chamber calculates the ratio of available workers to job openings. Available workers includes those unemployed and those looking for work. The ratio was 1.2 in May, the same as in April. It is down considerably from its pandemic high of 5 in April 2020. Prior to the pandemic, the ratio was hovering around 1.
The situations, however, are very different. Pre-pandemic, there were roughly 7 million job openings and unemployed workers. The major issue was that available workers did not necessarily have the skills to fill those openings. At the time, it was going to be hard to lower the ratio because of that mismatch.
Now we have many more available workers, over 11.3 million compared to the 7 million pre-pandemic, and 2.2 million more openings. While some skills mismatches remain, the major problem is that the available workers are reluctant to go back to work, whether because of lingering COVID-19 concerns, childcare issues, or generous government benefits.
Bottom line: Lack of workers going back to available jobs continues to the be the biggest issue facing the economy, which is why the Chamber has launched the America Works Initiative.
—Curtis Dubay, Senior Economist, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
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Expanded Child Tax Credit Likely to Provide Considerable Benefits to Children and Parents |
The expanded Child Tax Credit has the potential to dramatically reduce child poverty, improve child and parent health, and smooth fluctuations in available funds for lower-income families, concludes an analysis from the Rockefeller Institute of Government.
By mid-July, as many as 39 million families will begin to receive direct monthly cash payments through the temporary expansion of the Child Tax Credit (CTC) as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP Act) signed in March. Families will receive monthly payments up to $250 for each child age six to 17 and $300 for each child under six from July to December. The payments will be available for individuals earning up to $75,000 Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), heads of households earning $112,500 AGI and couples earning up to $150,000 AGI much like other COVID-19 stimulus payments. The remaining half of the year’s funds will be available as a fully refundable tax credit.
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MLF Toyota Series to Kickoff Northern Division on Lake Champlain, July 15-17! |
The Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau and the City of Plattsburgh are excited to welcome the MLF Toyota Series back to Lake Champlain, July 15th to the 17th!
The three-day tournament will feature the region’s best bass-fishing pros and co-anglers casting for a top prize of up to $65,000, plus an additional $35,000 bonus if the winner is a qualified Phoenix Boat owner.
Anglers will take off daily at 6:00AM from the Plattsburgh City Marina. Weigh-ins will also be held at the marina and will begin at 2:00PM. Fans are welcome to attend the event or follow the action online through the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts and daily coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
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Watercross Returns to the Plattsburgh City BeachBeach |
The IJSBA National Championships presented by East Coast Watercross are back on the Plattsburgh City Beach, July 31st to August 1st!
During this two day event, some of the very best Personal Watercraft athletes will be competing in Closed Course and Freestyle events to try and earn the right to wear the coveted #1 plate at the 2021 World Finals.
The City of Plattsburgh and the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau are looking forward to this world class, action packed event! So come out and watch the excitement as jet skiers soar across Lake Champlain, July 31st to August 1st at the Plattsburgh City Beach.
*Regular beach gate admission and rules do apply.
Hosted by: The City of Plattsburgh and the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau
Sponsored by: Eagle Country 97.5 and Sun Community News & Printing
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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.
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Today's Dose is Generously Supported By: |
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NYS Vaccination Updates: Official Site for making an appointment to get the COVID-19 Vaccine.
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Forward NY: Official State Website for opening procedures and guidelines.
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NYS Travel Advisory: Stay up to date on the latest NYS Travel Advisory Updates.
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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.
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SCORE: Small business owners are resilient and can power through this challenging time, with SCORE by their side.
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Have Questions? We're here to help!
North Country Chamber of Commerce
518.563.1000
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