• OC ranks second behind Los Angeles as the most COVID positive county in CA. As of July 22, OC has reached 29,986 reported COVID-19 cases. Public Health officials believe that OC has increased community spread due to low levels of mask use. #MaskUP! 

• Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) asks YOU to take this short survey today to determine the travel options of tomorrow.

• As California nears fire season, the state will hire 858 additional firefighters and six California Conservation Corps. Additional precautions such as early warning technologies and place fire detection cameras are in operation across the state. Learn more.

• Early Childhood OC and OC Emergency Child Care Task Force have partnered to assemble a database of open child care centers. Families in need of financial assistance may be eligible for the Child Care Payment Program, which provides three programs for subsidized child care services. 

• On Aug 5, OCBC will host Kimberly Reed, Chair of Export-Import Bank (EXIM) of the United States. EXIM helps American businesses get the funding they need to export their products. Register today!

• On Aug 4, OCBC will host a virtual forum on the significant impact 5G technology has to transform the way we live, work, educate and play. Are you ready? Is your city? Hear from industry experts Register today!

• Newport Beach expands its Back to Business program to outdoor hair, nail and massage services with the waiver of all permit fees for personal care services that apply for outdoor work permits. Apply now.

• Huntington Beach's expedited permit process for restaurants to expand outdoor dining in private lots will have a turnaround time of one week with their free application. Apply now.

• Join Christopher Schwarz, UC Irvine Associate Professor of Finance and Faculty Director of the Center for Investment and Wealth Management, for the latest data, Q2 earnings, stimulus checks, and COVID-19 increases. Register today! Co-sponsored by OCBC.

• CalChamber Executive Vice President and General Counsel Erika Frank host employment law experts Bianca Saad and Matthew Roberts on CalChamber’s The Workplace podcast, “COVID-19: Planning for School Closures” to discuss how schools can prepare for fall school closures and available leave options by affected school employees. Listen and view a written recap here.

• Orange County Register is partnering with local business leaders to honor outstanding workplaces in Orange County for the 13th year in a row. This years theme is "Celebrate the Good," and "Extraordinary Times. Extraordinary Effort." The nomination period has been extended through Friday, August 7. Nominate an organization today!

• County of Orange advocates for the community to create a family preparedness plan in the event of a COVID-19 infection. In emergency situations, child arrangements and information such as alternative caregiver and child medical consent forms are critical. 

• Local cities and counties can apply for Homekey funds, the largest project in CA’s history to house the homeless population. Funds will be available for the purchase and refurbishment of hotels, motels, and vacant apartment buildings. View application details.

• Destination Irvine has prepared a list of restaurants in Irvine that are open for outdoor dining. View the list and make a reservation today!

• Anaheim Convention Center Test Site: Appointments Required.
• Free testing in OC: How to access.
• DO IT! Where to get tested in OC: Find a testing site near you. 
• OC Testing Sites: Appointment & walk-in resources.
• Public & private sector testing: Contact your provider today.
• COVID-19 Hotline: For general questions & information call: (714)-834-2000.
• OC Health Care Agency: Data Dashboard featuring confirmed COVID-19 cases.

• President Donald Trump issued an executive order aiming to exclude undocumented immigrants from being included in census results. This could undercount up to two million undocumented immigrants in California, resulting in a substantial reduction in federal dollars allocated to the state and the potential loss of a congressional seat. A census undercount threatens California’s competitive advantage. This policy will be challenged in court. Find your Representative here to let them know that you support a full and accurate census count.

• SB 1373 would have threatened the Transportation Corridor Agencies’ recently adopted Alternative 22 regional solution. In March, TCA unanimously approved Alternative 22, which would connect Los Patrones Parkway to Avenida La Pata as a county-built arterial to provide regional traffic relief and an alternate route to the often congested I-5 freeway. This solution was developed after a multi-ear comprehensive study evaluating various alternatives. SB 1373 could have limited TCA’s ability to fund Alternative 22 as well as past and future transportation investments. The bill will not advance after being held in the Assembly Transportation Committee.

• REGISTRATION CLOSING SOON FOR OCBC's virtual advocacy summit July 27 and 28 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Don’t miss your chance to discuss OC's priorities with top-level legislators and state officials. Confirmed speakers include Lieutenant Governor Elieni Kounalakis; Secretary of State Alex Padilla; Treasurer Fiona Ma; Attorney General Javier Becerra; Senate Education Chair Connie Leyva; Assembly Utilities and Energy Chair Chris Holden; Senate Housing Chair Scott Wiener; State Water Board Chair E. Joaquin Esquivel; Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin; and others. Open to OCBC members only. Members can register HERE. To learn more about membership, contact Natalie Rubalcava.

• The US Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Global Dashboard on COVID-19 policies, which tracks pandemic policies impacting global business. 

• California Competes Tax Credit application will be open from July 27 to August 17. With $80 million available in tax credits, CCTC is an income tax available to all businesses who want to start or grow in California. Go-Biz will host a webinar on the application process on July 29. Click here for a full list of upcoming webinars and registration links.

• The Q2 Orange County Tech-Life Sciences Investment Overview highlights OC’s top funded companies, funds by industry, and where capital is sourced from. Overall, Orange County continues to have a powerful and growing ecosystem with life sciences at the forefront of economic development. 

• Join the California Entrepreneurship Task Force for COVID-19 Rapid Response Virtual Sessions. Local businesses have the opportunity to seek resources for business growth and engage with fellow business leaders. Apply here for your partnership. Click here to apply for your partnership.

• The California State Library aids businesses with a portal to find all available state grant and loan opportunities. California Grants Portal houses first come, first serve grants for businesses, individuals, nonprofit organizations, public agencies, and tribal governments in all sectors of the economy. Find your grant today!

• The Home Repair Program will provide $5,000 for low-income Garden Grove families in need of home repair assistance. Home improvements include interior and exterior repairs such as window replacements, roof replacement, heater replacement, plumbing, and handicap accessibility modifications. Qualified families will not have to repay the grant. View guidelines.

• The City of Garden Grove COVID-19 business survey will determine additional support needed for Orange County’s business sector. Your voice needs be heard, take the survey today!

• ChalChamber hosts a diversity and inclusion panel with top business leaders Cassandra Pye, Executive Vice President & Chief Strategy Officer, Lucas Public Affairs; Jonathan Mayes, ChalChamber Board Member & Senior Vice President of External Affairs & Chief Diversity Officer, Albertsons; Audra Bohannon, Senior Client Partner, Korn Ferry; and Leland Jourdan, Chief Diversity Officer, Chevron Corporation. Learn the best practices on how to handle racism in the workplace, promotions, and education & management training resources. View recap.

• Tax Credits and Exemptions
• Site Selection and Incentive Navigation
• Workforce Development Funding and Training Resources
• Technical Assistance and Resources for Small Businesses

• Is your workforce in need of training? Rancho Santiago Community College District and Saddleback college can provide customized and subsidized training opportunities to upskill or reskill your employees. For more information, contact Jesse Ben-Ron, OCBC VP of Workforce and Economic Development.

• Small Business Development Center
• SBDC Resources for Small Businesses
• Go-BIZ FAQ for Small Businesses
• UCI Free Small Business Toolkit

• Aera Energy LLC welcomes former Shell executive Erik Bartsch as new CEO. Bartsch will join the team on October 1st as the company's fourth CEO and will lead with his extensive background in uncovering new energy sources and leadership management in safety and environment, integrated gas, and greenhouse gas improvement. Bartsch's mission for Aera Energy LLC is to build upon the company's free speech culture and to build teams to that inspire innovative and authentic ideas.

• This honor is AT&T’s third victory in the best large business category and is awarded for AT&T’s enhanced customer service initiatives. AT&T also received the highest rank in all six factors for performance and reliability; cost of service; communications; sales representatives and account executives; billing; and customer service.