Maryland to Close All Non-Essential Businesses at 5 p.m.
Dear WANADA Members,
The executive order will require all dealership showrooms to close statewide as of 5 p.m., but auto repair facilities will be allowed to remain open, while adhering to CDC guidelines around social distancing and OSHA regulations.
We are currently seeking guidance on whether dealers could still operate skeleton crews to handle vehicle sales on a by-appointment basis, and also whether they can do home deliveries or test drives on request.
We will continue to update you as we get more information.
Fortunately, the order is
not
a shelter-in-place order, so Marylanders will still be able to move outside to do things like get their vehicles repaired in an environment that is safe for customers and employees alike. Please refer to
Maryland's Department of Labor COVID-19 resource page
for businesses as a key resource.
We will keep you updated on all developments at the federal, state, and local levels that are of importance to you, your businesses, and your employees. Please refer to our
COVID-19 information page as a repository of dealer-focused information related to this pandemic. And, should you elect to continue operating your auto repair facilities (and, at least for now, your Virginia showrooms), please take great care to adhere to all
CDC health and safety guidelines.
Maryland Layoff Aversion Fund and Unemployment Benefits
I strongly encourage Maryland dealers to check out the state's new
Layoff Aversion Fund, which provides up to $50,000 in grants per applicant to help defray costs associated with shifting some business functions to remote work.
Similar to what Gov. Ralph Northam announced in Virginia last week, Maryland is
waiving work-search requirements and the waiting period for applying for unemployment benefits.
Summary
We know that this mandate from Gov. Hogan will cause significant disruption to your dealership operations, and we stand ready to assist you in any way we can. As I mentioned, please refer to our
COVID-19 information page for more dealership-centered information, and also please feel free to contact me or Joe Koch (
jk@wanada.org) at any time.
If you have any WANADA insurance or benefits-related questions, please contact Ed Mullaney (
em@wanada.org) or Connie Ryan (
cr@wanada.org). We are with you through this process, and we will continue to be with you long after this crisis passes.
