The U.S. House will be in session today, working toward the goal of passing the $2 trillion economic relief package. President Trump has vowed to sign it into law this weekend. Here’s a snapshot of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
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$377 Billion Bipartisan Small Business Economic Relief
Contained within the CARES Act, is the
Keeping American Workers Paid and Employed Act
which will provide $377 billion to help prevent workers from losing their jobs and small businesses from going under due to economic losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Paycheck Protection Program would provide 8 weeks of cash-flow assistance through 100 percent federally guaranteed loans to small employers who maintain their payroll during this emergency. If the employer maintains its payroll, then the portion of the loan used for covered payroll costs, interest on mortgage obligations, rent, and utilities would be forgiven, which would help workers to remain employed and affected small businesses and our economy to recover quickly from this crisis. This proposal would be retroactive to February 15, 2020 to help bring workers who may have already been laid off back onto payrolls.
Florida U.S. Senator Marco Rubio spearheaded this effort, and the Florida Chamber advocated for
its passage.
“Your proposed $350 billion loan guaranty and assistance package, the Keeping Workers Paid and Employed Act of 2020, is crucial to the economic survival of millions of businesses and their employees right now,”
wrote
Mark Wilson, President & CEO, Florida Chamber of Commerce. “The Florida Chamber of Commerce fully supports your efforts and we stand ready to continue to assist you in every way we can in the weeks and months ahead as we unite to protect our fellow citizens’ health and economic well-being and secure Florida’s future.”
The Florida Chamber thanks Senator Rubio for his strong leadership on this important issue.
Coronavirus Stimulus Would Send $8.2 Billion to Florida
Florida is set to receive $8.2 billion to help fight COVID-19 under the $2 trillion stimulus package passed by the Senate on Wednesday. The stimulus package includes funding for Florida to run its Short-Time Compensation, or work sharing program, that allows employers to reduce hours for workers instead of laying them off while also giving employees prorated unemployment benefits. Programs such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families are extended through Nov. 30 through the proposal, which also includes a 6.2 percent increase to the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage for Medicaid.
Florida Delays Property Tax Payment Deadline
The Florida Department of Revenue has ordered a two-week delay in Florida property tax payments that were due March 31. The due date is now April 14.
The order
was signed by the agency’s executive director, Jim Zingale.
Professional Licenses Renewals Suspended
Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation Secretary Halsey Beshears as issued an emergency order suspending renewal deadlines for all department-issued licenses, permits, registrations, or certificates set to expire in March or April. Late fees will not apply to licenses renewed during this extension period. For more information, visit
Bridge Loan Application Process Changes
Effective immediately, eligible small businesses interested in applying for the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan program, a short-term loan designed to help business owners bridge the gap between the time of impact and when the business has secured long-term assistance, should apply for the program through one of two ways:
(2)
Download an application
,
complete it and mail it with the required supporting documentation to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) at: Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, C/O Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan, 107 E. Madison Street, MSC-160, Tallahassee FL 32399-4120.
Take the Business Damage Assessment Survey
Businesses impacted by COVID-19 are encouraged to participate in the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity’s
business damage assessment survey
.
Gathering data on the impact caused by COVID-19 now will help ensure that Florida communities can recover as quickly as possible.
Reemployment Assistance
Governor DeSantis has reminded Floridians that if their employment has been negatively impacted because of mitigation efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19, they may be eligible to receive Reemployment Assistance.
Click here
for more information.
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Department of Labor Publishes Required Families First COVID-19 Response Act Employer Notice Poster
The Department of Labor published a Notice Poster for employers to use to satisfy the requirement in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) that covered employers post a notice of its requirements. Covered employers can find the FFCRA Notice Poster, titled “Employee Rights: Paid Sick Leave and Expanded Family and Medical Leave under The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA),” on the Department of Labor’s website at the following
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/posters
.
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Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers
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The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released guidance to help state and local jurisdictions and the private sector identify and manage their essential workforce while responding to COVID-19. As the Nation comes together to slow the spread of COVID-19, the President issued updated Coronavirus Guidance for America. This guidance states that:
“If you work in a critical infrastructure industry, as defined by the Department of Homeland Security, such as healthcare services and pharmaceutical and food supply, you have a special responsibility to maintain your normal work schedule.”
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Auto Service Operations and Auto Dealers
As we all search for ways to be safe, Florida’s auto service operations and auto dealers are essential to Florida’s transportation needs and Florida’s economy.
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Florida Businesses Responding
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TCC Donates Masks and More
Tallahassee Community College has donated more than 1,000 masks, gowns, gloves, shoe covers and bouffant caps to local first responders to protect frontline healthcare workers. Read more
here
.
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Miami Hospitals Rally Together to Combat COVID-19
In South Florida, where healthcare competition can be cutthroat, a group of five non-profit hospitals are creating an informal coalition in response to the novel coronavirus. They’re working together and sharing information — on everything from patients to supplies to financial performance — to ensure that Miami is prepared for a surge of patients due to the pandemic. Jackson Health System, Miami-Dade’s safety net hospital, is in the consortium. So is Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. Their CEOs said the other members include Baptist Health South Florida, Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, and the University of Miami Health System. “We’re all very competitive people, very competitive organizations,” said Carlos Migoya, CEO of Jackson Health. “But this is, obviously, something much bigger than the needs for each of our institutions. It’s really for the needs of our entire community.” Click
here
to learn more.
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Tampa Electric and TECO Peoples Gas Donate $1 Million
The utilities are contributing $1 million to support Floridians who have lost their job or income during COVID-19. Of the $1 million commitment, $500,000 is dedicated to the Share program, supporting customers who can’t pay their utility bills, and $500,000 to charitable partner organizations working on the front lines of this pandemic.
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Bauer Internet Offers Free Educational Video Conferencing
Bauer Internet LLC is now offering free video conferencing to businesses and schools at
https://bauervids.com
.
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Exquisite Catering Feeding National Guard
Exquisite Catering in North Miami, a South Florida company is preparing meals for National Guard members who have been called to the region to help with the coronavirus pandemic. The staff at Exquisite Catering in North Miami could be seen making hot meals for some 300 members of the National Guard, Wednesday. Click
here
to learn more.
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COVID-19: Number of Cases in Florida
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FL Cases Exceed 2,300
The positive confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Florida has now exceeded 2,300. The number is up by the hundreds overnight. More
here
.
Running List of Stay-At-Home Orders Across Florida
Follow the complete list of stay-at-home orders across Florida, including city and county orders. More
here
.
Broward Medical Professional Dies From COVID-19
A medical professional in Broward County is the first Florida medical professional to die from the coronavirus. More
here
.
FEMA Rejects Palm
Beach County Request for Testing Center
On Thursday, Palm Beach County announced FEMA had rejected their application for new coronavirus testing sites. The county is now looking to the state for help.
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Shock Study: U.S. Deaths Could Top 80,000
A new study from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation says the U.S. death toll from the coronavirus could be as high as 80,000. The American healthcare system could be overwhelmed and low on resources as soon as the first week of April. More
here
.
New Poll Could Reveal
How Many Americans
Have COVID-19
Approximately 70,000 Americans have the coronavirus, but the shortage of tests leaves many medical experts wondering how many actually have the virus. More
here
.
Why New York Is America’s Epicenter, So Far
Half of the United States’
coronavirus cases are in New York. Part of the reasoning is the accessibility to test kits and the density of people, but there’s
more to the story. More
here
.
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Countries Reporting Confirmed Cases: 160
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Austria, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Central African Republic, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Easter Island, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Eswatini, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gaza, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Mauritania, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Qatar, Pakistan, Palestine, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, South Korea, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sri Lanka, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tahiti, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, U.K., U.S., Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Zimbabwe, Vatican City, Venezuela, and Vietnam.
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Florida Chamber of Commerce
www.FloridaChamber.com/Coronavirus
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