• Visit Saint Paul invites all of us to take part in the Ready Together Pledge to help build confidence among residents and visitors by voluntarily pledging to commit to the health and safety of all guests. Details are included below and you can read more in this newsletter. It’s free to participate, is not regulatory or punitive, and is voluntary for businesses to adopt. Sign the Pledge here.

• Comcast continues to show up: continuing free service to Internet Essentials and is forgiving back debts so more families can apply. Read more at www.comcastcorporation.com.

• Blue Cross will offer $70M in discounts and rebates after claims drop because of COVID pandemic. Credits will go to individual and family plans as well as fully insured businesses. 

• 3M sales turn a corner in July From the Minneapolis Star Tribune, August 13: 3M's sales in July rose from over a year ago, turning a corner after double-digit declines the previous three months caused by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

• Median age remains at 36.0 yo.
• 7-day average positivity rate is 4.9%, down from 5.2% last week. As a reminder, state targets keeping this number under 15%, with an “immediate warning” risk level of over 5%. Our lowest was 3% in mid-June, highest was over 15% in late April.
• Growth rate in total testing volume is 8.2%, continues to outpace growth of new cases which is now 6.8% week to week.
• Hospitalization numbers are declining again, though Commissioner Malcolm considers this part of the “wave pattern” rather than indicative of a long term decline (yet). “We may have passed the crest of the most recent wave.” We are stable, but still at a rate of cases that is too high.
• Elevated hospitalizations within BIPOC community. Any understanding of why? Commissioner considers multiple reasons: 1) occupational: employment in certain kinds of settings where there are higher incidence of settings; 2) in terms of hospitalizations and mortality, we think this is due to underlying health conditions that are more prevalent – again, as a result of complex social determinants and social/economic factors that have created some of the health disparities.
• Over Labor Day Weekend and, in general, travel recommendations: no longer encouraging people to not travel at all but, instead, be respectful and use good prevention measures when traveling. When traveling out of state, be mindful of where you're going and to consider your own risk levels. Could consider self-quarantine upon returning from a high-risk area or after high-risk activities.

• Mask distribution: still need masks? Contact a chamber near you; most of us have a limited number still available. Coordination for on-site pick-up at SPACC is through staci@saintpaulchamber.com.

• Coronavirus Monday update: Minnesotans tested for COVID-19 surpass 1 million From the Pioneer Press, August 17: The Pioneer Press has daily updates. Great page to visit regularly if you’re not going to the MDH Situation Report for info.

• Minnesota companies made deals in a hurry at the start of the year, then the virus hit From the Minneapolis Star Tribune, August 16: In the U.S. overall, the number of deals slipped 43% in the second quarter and dollar volume was down 79%, according to Capital IQ and Robert W. Baird, an investment bank. But after the decent first quarter, the six-month transaction volume was down 11.4%, according to Baird.

• Small businesses unable to access federal relief funds look to local sources From the Pioneer Press, August 14: Experts say many of the businesses struggling the most to access relief resources during the pandemic are the ones that need the most help to survive, such as female, Black, and minority-owned small businesses and start-ups. A nice shout-out to local partners like the City of St. Paul, Ramsey County, the Port Authority, the Neighbors United Funding Collaborative, and our own We ❤ St. Paul/Midway fund. 

• DEED is promoting Jobs In Demand, and wants to help people shift gears
• Need help identifying skills that can transfer? Visit here.
• Need additional training or education? Were you laid off during the pandemic and need help preparing? You may be eligible for counselor-approved education or training. 
• For many Minnesotans, the state’s Coursera initiative may offer a chance to explore new career fields, take classes for college credit and earn valuable certifications to help prepare them for their next job – all at no direct cost.
• Contact staff at a CareerForce location near you to find out more and get the help you need. 

• How prevalent is COVID-19 in your community? These maps break it down From the Pioneer Press, August 14: Cases by zip code, positive test rates show widespread outbreak.

• St. Paul rebuilding efforts inch along after civil unrest From MPR, August 14: St. Paul officials estimate 300 businesses were damaged during the civil unrest in late May. In Minneapolis, the number was closer to 1,300 businesses. City officials in both cities expect rebuilding in critical business corridors could take 10 years.

• U.S. jobless claims fall below 1 million but remain high From the Associated Press, August 13: : The number of laid-off workers applying for unemployment aid fell below 1 million last week for the first time since the pandemic intensified five months ago yet still remains at a high level. The viral pandemic keeps forcing layoffs just as the expiration of a $600-a-week federal jobless benefit has deepened the hardships for many.

• Kashkari, Osterholm: U.S. need another lockdown From the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, August 10: Two of Minnesota’s most prominent names in economic and health policy are calling for another round of state-by-state lockdowns to halt the COVID-19 pandemic, arguing that many areas quit earlier efforts too quickly.

• From Lockridge Grindal Nauen’s Federal Update, August 17: Members of the House will return to Washington this week, earlier than scheduled, to work on urgent legislation aimed at shoring up the U.S. Postal Service ahead of November’s elections. A vote on the Delivering for America Act is likely to take place later this week. The bill “prohibits the Postal Service from implementing any changes to operations or level of service it had in place on January 1, 2020,” Speaker Pelosi said in the letter. Concerns arose in recent days after the Postal Service warned 46 states last week that it may not be able to deliver their ballots on time for Election Day.

• From Lockridge Grindal Nauen’s Federal Update, August 17: Relief bill negotiations unlikely to resume before September. With the collapse of talks between House Leadership and the Trump Administration earlier this month, a new coronavirus relief bill is not expected to be agreed to or passed before September. While members of the House will be returning this week to address concerns related to the Postal Service, votes are not yet expected on other issues.

• See available SBA COVID-19 training here.
• For more on SBA programs for the coronavirus, please visit www.sba.gov/coronavirus.
• Minnesota Chamber’s COVID-19 Business Toolkit has a dedicated section for employment guidance that can help.