Restaurants are able to take advantage of a grant opportunity via Uber Eats program, “Eat Local Support Effort” that will provide $20+ million in financial commitments over the next 6 months to restaurants as the pandemic continue to shake the industry. As part of the program, LISC, will administer the $4.5 million Restaurant Grant Program that will help restaurant partners in the U.S. get through the economic crisis caused by COVID-19. Applications are now being accepted. Apply here. Applications must be submitted by Sunday, February 28 at 11:59 p.m.ET. 

These grants may be used for but not limited to paying rent, utilities, payroll, paying outstanding debt to vendors, upgrading technology infrastructure and other immediate operational costs.

The Uber Eats Restaurant Grant Program will support restaurants active on Uber Eats or Postmates as of January 1, 2021, in any U.S. city with financial challenges related to the pandemic. Details are listed with the application.

Beginning February 17th, eBay and the California Office of the Small Business Advocate offer the opportunity for small businesses to apply for a grant package including cash, credits and dedicated training through eBay Seller School. Ecommerce offers tremendous opportunity for small businesses, allowing them to stay rooted in their local communities while vastly expanding their reach to potential buyers on a global scale. This new program will equip up to 300 in-state businesses to take full advantage of this new opportunity with interactive coaching and instruction that will help them effectively compete and grow online.

This new, 100% FREE program will offer participating businesses with the educational resources, interactive instruction and seller-to-seller coaching they need to compete on eBay’s marketplace. Participants will enjoy full access to eBay Seller School, their interactive online learning platform. Seller School offers both beginner-level and more advanced courses to help all sellers accelerate and scale their eBay business, regardless of their time and experience on the platform.

Selected businesses will learn how to supercharge their listing and marketing strategies, create a dynamic digital storefront, leverage powerful data analysis tools to fuel their performance, and more. Applications are now open at ebay.com/California until 11:59 p.m.PT on Thursday, March 11. 

8710 La Mesa Blvd., La Mesa | (619) 363-2201 | http://sdamedspa.com

Amid the pandemic, restaurant owners have been forced to get creative for over a year, or risk losing their business altogether. San Diego County has implemented some of the toughest restrictions on businesses in the name of public safety, and local restaurant owners have been hit the hardest. Now open at 2707 Boston Avenue in San Diego is the Barrio Food Hub. This hub is a 10,000 square-foot “ghost kitchen” filled warehouse, that will eventually house more than 50 eateries. Known as “ghost” and “virtual” kitchens, commercial spaces (on an average of 200 square-feet with a private kitchen, 3-compartment sink, prep sink, new gas and plumbing connections and a kiosk to allow for walk-up and take out orders) are a way to give restaurants and chefs the opportunity to operate a business within a small space to prepare food without having to worry about the substantial costs of maintaining a dine-in, brick-and-mortar restaurant. We are thrilled that La Mesa Chamber Member, Cali BBQ has joined the Barrio Logan Food Hub and is ready NOW to take your order online for pick up or delivery.

The Governor signed legislation last week to extend the state’s eviction moratorium through June 30, 2021, protecting millions of Californians struggling as a result of the economic hardship brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The legislation signed will pause evictions for tenants who declare under penalty of perjury an inability to pay all or part of the rent due to a COVID related reason. Tenants are still responsible for paying unpaid amounts to property owners, but those unpaid amounts cannot be the basis for an eviction, even after the moratorium ends. SB 91 also establishes the State Rental Assistance Program to allocate the $2.6 billion in federal rental assistance California will receive. The program will target aid to low income-qualified tenants most at-risk with unpaid back rent. Assistance will also be extended to property owners who agree to waive 20 percent of unpaid rent. By agreeing to this waiver, property owners will become eligible for 80 percent in rent reimbursement for amounts owed between April 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021. Approximately $150 million of the federal will be reserved for tenants in counties with populations of 200,000 or less and the additional funds will be available to counties with populations larger than 200,000. The state will directly administer $1.5 billion through contracted groups and local governments can either join forces with the state or administer their own programs. The program will begin in March.

An Escondido company has teamed up with scientists at UC San Diego Health to develop a new rapid test for the virus that causes COVID-19, which can be scaled up to analyze as many as 100,000 samples in a day with equipment readily available in hospitals throughout the United States and the world. Menon Biosensors Inc. developed technology called the “molecular mirror” that can analyze samples rapidly, in mass batches and at a lower cost than existing tests, said Suresh Menon, CEO and founder of the company. Menon said his company is working with UCSD Health to verify the accuracy and reliability of the test, and the two entities applied last week to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to roll out the test at labs across the country. The team of Menon and UCSD is among 20 finalists for the $6 million XPrize, a competition that drew more than 200 teams from throughout the world to develop a faster, cheaper and easier-to-use coronavirus test. The top five-teams are expected to be announced this month. Currently, scientists believe the molecular mirror test, developed by Menon can detect the existing, known variants of the coronavirus that have emerged. If the virus mutates into new variants in the future, the test can be easily adapted to detect them and can also be quickly adapted to new viruses. Menon, a native of Kerala, India has earned degrees and holds more than 100 patents and trademarks. Source: The San Diego Union Tribune – Joe Tash.

Pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson submitted its single-shot coronavirus vaccine to U. S. regulators for emergency use authorization after the vaccine was shown to be robustly effective against illness in a global trial – and especially at preventing severe disease and death. This step is pivotal toward reducing the burden of disease for people globally and putting an end to the pandemic. The data has not been peer-reviewed or published but will be carefully reviewed by career FDA scientists and an external panel of experts who will determine if the vaccine meets the safety and efficiency requirements for emergency use. The easier logistics of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which can be stored at refrigerator temperatures for several months and requires only a single shot, would make it a welcome addition amid the drive to accelerate vaccinations as variants loom. Source: The San Diego Union Tribune – Carolyn Y. Johnson & Laurie McGinley. Image Source: Dado Ruvic/Reuters.

Blue Shield of California will create an algorithm to determine where to allocate COVID-19 vaccines statewide with the goal of being able to administer 3 million shots a week by March 1, according to a contract made public on February 15, that grants the insurance giant far-reaching powers in overseeing the state’s distribution of doses. The company will attempt to drastically scale up the number of daily doses, but that goal will largely depend on the supply sent to the state. Blue Shield will immediately work to centralize the state’s COVID-19 vaccination program after a sluggish start due to a lack of available doses and complex regulations dictating which Californians should be prioritized and data reporting issues. The state’s decision to put Blue Shield at the helm removes key decision-making on vaccine administration from the purview of counties just as California’s vaccination efforts have begun to take off. Kaiser Permanente, which provides health care services for more than 9 million Californians, is expected to sign a separate contract with the state to run a vaccination program for its members while overseeing two or more mass vaccination sites and helping to vaccinate “hard-to-reach and disproportionally impacted populations.” Both companies have agreed that they will run the programs at or near cost and will not profit, according to a letter of intent. Blue Shield’s contract stipulates that the company cannot bill the state for more than $15 million during the contract term for out-of-pocket costs. Source: The San Diego Union Tribune – Melody Gutierrez.

Americans who lost their job or some of their income in 2020 should pay attention to a new, one-time provision that ensures they don’t lose access to valuable tax credits as well. The “lookback” rule allows taxpayers to use either their 2019 or 2020 income, whichever is most beneficial, in order to get the most out of the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit. These are considered the two most valuable tax credits for low- and moderate-income working families. Together, they lift more working-age people out of poverty than any other government program. However, some people are potentially facing a smaller credit or no credit because of job loss or reduced income in 2020. That can be the difference between a refund, which is a financial lifeline in many households. Lawmakers, as part of a relief package passed in December, decided taxpayers could “lookback” to their 2019 income to claim these credits. The Earned Income Tax Credit is worth $538 to $6,660 depending on income and number of children. People without children can claim the ETC, although its value is much lower. The Child Tax Credit offer up to $2,000 per qualifying dependent child. Part of the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan would temporarily raise the child tax credit to as much as $3,600 per child annually. Source: The San Diego Union Tribune – Sarah Skidmore Sell. 

The 2021 tax season is underway and taxpayers see some changes ushered in by the coronavirus pandemic that could affect their returns. People should be aware of certain situations, including working in a different state or claiming a stimulus check.

No. Anyone who qualified but didn’t receive a payment can claim the amount as a credit on their 2020 federal return. New parents who had a child last year and report it on their 2020 return might receive a higher tax refund or see their tax liability shrink. The second round of stimulus payments covered more people, including mixed-immigration status families. The payments were reduced to $600 for individuals and $1,200 for joint filers. For people who earned more than those amounts, the payments were reduced and then phased out for individuals making more than $87,000 and $174,000 for couples with no children.

No, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which took effect in 2018, eliminated the ability of employees who receive a W-2 from their employer to deduct home office expenses.

The self-employed and small-business owners might be able to deduct home office expenses if they meet two requirements. One, taxpayers must regularly use their home office exclusively for work and not for any other purpose, and two, it must be the main place where the individual conducts his or her business. A self-employed business owner would be able to possibly make the claim that their home office served as their principal place of business during 2020. Those taxpayers can use two calculations to deduct a portion of their expenses, including utility bills, mortgage interest, depreciation, rent or office supplies. The first calculation uses the percentage of the home office space relative to the entire area of the home. The second involves multiplying $5 by the area of the home used as an office, which is limited to 300 square feet.

Yes. The income people received from unemployment benefits, including from federal pandemic relief programs, is taxable at both the state and federal level. Anyone who received jobless benefits in 2020 will be sent a 1099-G form, which contains the amount of benefits paid out and any taxes withheld.

In the pandemic relief package enacted last spring, a special provision temporarily suspended limits on charitable contributions, allowing taxpayers to deduct up to $300, regardless of whether deductions are itemized. Donations must be to charitable organizations with tax-exempt status that are eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions. That includes churches, charities, nonprofit schools, hospitals, volunteer fire departments, and certain cultural groups. The IRS has an online search tool to help determine an organization’s charitable status. Source: The San Diego Union Tribune – Abdel Jimenez.

Within the month La Mesa expects to update its equipment to allow live public comment via phone. With in-person council meetings on hiatus for nearly a year, people who want to speak to the council currently are only able to do so at the city’s Emergency Operations Center in La Mesa’s Fire Administration Building on Allison Avenue. The city still accepts comments by email, with letters read by City Clerk Megan Wiegelman. Wiegelman stated that the opportunity for people to speak to the City Council via phones is being evaluated. These upgrades come at the request of Councilman Colin Parent, who wanted to provide access for people who cannot physically attend a hearing. He believes that this is a way to allow people who have been excluded from the meetings to have a voice, making it fair for everyone. Parent and Mayor Arapostathis agreed to form a subcommittee that will work on expanding the city’s portfolio of public participation opportunities looking toward the end of the pandemic when meetings will be in-person once again. Source: The San Diego Union Tribune – Karen Pearlman. 

Due to national delays in vaccine shipments, all county COVID-19 vaccination points of dispensing, or PODs, and the North County Super Station in San Marcos are currently only offering appointments for second doses.

Previously scheduled appointments for first doses at these sites are being rescheduled into the following week.

Those affected by appointment cancellations are being notified via their UCSD MyChart accounts and should also check their email.

Project SAVE (Scheduling Assistance for Vaccine Equity) sets aside a portion of vaccine appointments to equitably distribute the novel coronavirus vaccine and is operating in four sites:

Those at high risk for COVID-19 complications will be reached by community health workers at various locations in the South Bay.

The County of San Diego announced on February 19 the shortage of vaccines caused by the delayed arrival of an expected Moderna shipment. Vaccination sites county-wide will slow and, in some cases, will pause with appointments being rescheduled. Th expected date is February 23rd for the shipment. Second doses will remain the priority for vaccination sites.

San Diego County’s latest vaccination center opens at Linda Rhoades Center, 600 North Santa Fe Ave. Those in Phase 1A can schedule an appointment for that location.

Food and agriculture, teachers, and first responders will be the next tier eligible to receive vaccinations when available.

The Metropolitan Transit System is offering FREE rides to people with proof of a vaccination appointment.

If you’re eligible and vaccine appointments are available through My Turn, you can schedule one. If it’s NOT your turn yet or appointments are NOT available, you can register to be notified when you’re eligible or when appointments open.

Immediate Relief for Small Businesses Quadrupled - Governor Newsom announces immediate action for relief:

As we are headed into a new legislative session‚ I wanted to share a brief update on my legislative priorities‚ as well as share some community updates that I thought you might find helpful.

Have you filled out the simple form online to advertise your business for FREE? The San Diego Union Tribune has created an opportunity for businesses to let the public know - “Yes, We’re Open.” This business marketing campaign lists your business name, address, phone number and website in ads they print in the newspaper and their online directory.

Sign up NOW - visit SanDiegoUnionTribune.com/OpenForBusiness to fill out the form to list your business in print and online – FREE!

If you need help or questions - call Mary England 619-251-7730 and we will be glad to assist you!

You are able to order food for “take out” and you may “pick up” meals at these restaurants. You may check the websites of these restaurants to see what food delivery services they use to make your dining experience easy and convenient.