Good Monday afternoon,
Today, Ross County reported its first COVID-19 case. We understand that hearing this news might give some pause, but it's important to know that local and state officials have been saying that it wasn't a question of "if" COVID-19 would be in our area, it was a question of "when." The "when" has arrived.
It's important to know that this is not a surprise and it's no reason to panic
. While everyone would probably like to know who it was and where they worked, the Ross County Health District has a great system of contact tracing and has done all the legwork to let the impacted people know what is going on. They will not be naming or releasing data on the case because it would specifically identify the person - a decision I agree with wholeheartedly.
Monday's COVID-19 resource newsletter represents a new way of preventing you the information. Instead of long paragraphs, I've streamlined the update to include the links you need. We've gotten feedback on the updates including that you like them, but we could streamline. We hear you, and made the changes with you in mind.
Today, we're focused on some new information on how our members and community can get more details on the CARES Act and the SBA loans that can help small business as we continue into the COVID-19 slowdown (or shutdown, for some).
Tomorrow, I'll have some more information about the recent survey of businesses we did with the Central Ohio Chambers of Commerce group and what it found.
Finally, after President Trump announced the continuation of the social distancing guidelines until April 30 and with discussion with board and staff, we've canceled all Chamber-sponsored events until May 1.
Thanks,
Mike