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Wednesday, September 16, 2020 | View as Webpage
ADD YOUR VOICE FOR REOPENING, OC ICU NUMBERS RECORD LOW, FITNESS SUES GOVERNOR, RED TAPE/RED CARPET, AND MORE!
HOT OFF THE PRESS
ANAHEIM CALLS ON THE GOVERNOR TO REOPEN DISNEYLAND, MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!:*
  • As Disneyland enters its sixth-month of closure, the City of Anaheim is calling for the immediate release of theme park guidelines. This call to action comes as Anaheim experiences a $100 million budget deficit. OCBC encourages you to use the link below to write a brief email to the Governor asking for the release of theme park guidelines.
  • Start your email.
  • Fill out the form, selecting the "have comment" option and choose COVID-19 as the subject.
  • Select "pro" option.
  • Add your message or use this pre-written version - Nearly 100,000 jobs are at risk at Orange County’s theme parks because of delays in reopening. Across the country and world, theme parks have reopened safely without a single reported outbreak at a park. You have the ability to kick start the state’s economic recovery by releasing theme park guidelines to reopen. Please consider taking this important step to keep Californians employed!

OC ICUS SEE THE LOWEST PATIENT LEVEL IN 5 MONTHS:*
  • Orange County Department of Health reports the seven-day average for positive COVID-19 tests have dropped from 207 cases per day to 175 cases. The current number of patients in ICUs are 56, which is the lowest patient count since April 16, 2020. #MaskUP

CALIFORNIA FITNESS ALLIANCE ASKS COURT TO RESTORE REASONABLE AND EQUITABLE STATEWIDE ACCESS TO FITNESS:*
  • CFA has filed legal action in LA Superior Court seeking to ease restrictions placed on the industry by the State. The group joins a growing number of industries seeking revised guidance from the State on reopening safely. Read the press release.

CALIFORNIA ECONOMIC SUMMIT REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!:*
  • Marking the ninth annual gathering of private, public and civic leaders from across the state’s diverse regions committed to building an inclusive and sustainable economy — the Summit has never been more important. Register today! 

GOVERNOR NEWSOM SIGNS BILL THAT ALLOWS FORMER INMATE FIRE CREWS TO PURSUE FIREFIGHTER CAREERS:*
  • Governor Newsom signed AB 2147, which grants nonviolent offenders who have participated in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s fire camps to have their records expunged to fill emergency response positions.
ADVOCACY UPDATES:
SANTA ANA’S HEROES LANDING DEVELOPMENT NOMINATED FOR TURNING RED TAPE TO RED CARPET AWARDS:*
  • The City of Santa Ana partnered with Jamboree Housing to establish Orange County’s largest housing development exclusively for veterans, Heroes Landing, which is now nominated for OCBC’s prestigious Turning Red Tape Into Red Carpet Awards. Heroes Landing transformed a blighted parking lot into 75 housing units along with onsite mental health counseling and employment services. The development is expected to save more than $2.5 million annually in emergency services annually. It’s not too late to nominate projects—click HERE to submit yours by September 18!

GOVERNOR'S SUPPORT OF TAX INCREASES VIA PROP 15 IS THE WRONG MOVE:
  • NO on Prop 15. “Businesses struggle to make ends meet and keep their staff employed with little to no relief from ever-expanding regulations, and now proposed tax increases,” said Lucy Dunn, President and CEO, Orange County Business Council. Continue reading the press release!

SAVE JOBS WITH A YES VOTE ON PROP 22:

OCBC URGES GOVERNOR TO SUPPORT UPSKILLING OF OC WORKERS:
  • OCBC supports AB 1457, establishing a pilot project to train unemployed and underemployed workers to fill vacancies of in-demand jobs in essential industry sectors. The pilot would leverage existing community college contract education centers to prepare the nearly 200,000 unemployed residents of Orange County to quickly fill job openings. OCBC has encouraged Governor Newsom to sign AB 1457 into law. To read OCBC’s letter to the Governor, click HERE.

BUSINESS RESOURCES:
HOW PART-TIME RETURN TO WORK AFFECTS EMPLOYEE’S UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE BENEFITS:*
  • The Employment Development Department uses two formulas to determine employee’s unemployment insurance. View the break down for employee’s weekly earnings of $101 or more and $100 or less here.

TOMORROW'S WEBINAR-OVERCOMING CYBERSECURITY CHALLENGES DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC:*
  • On Thursday, September 17, join cyber experts: Jon Clay, Director of Global Threat Communications, Trend Micro; Mitchel Chang, VP of Corporate Social Responsibility and Education, Trend Micro; and Kristin Judge, CEO, Cybercrime Support Network to hear top-level counsel on cybercrime defense. Register here. 

O.C. MEDICAL DEVICE MANUFACTURER OFFERS FACE SHIELDS DIRECT TO LOCAL COMMUNITY
  • Applied Medical, an Orange County company that designs, develops and manufactures medical devices, is now offering face shields direct to non-medical professionals in need of protection during the pandemic. At the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak, Applied Medical utilized its local manufacturing capabilities to design and develop face shields for healthcare professionals on the front lines. The medical-grade face shields are now available to not only medical but also non-medical professionals in Orange County to help serve the community’s PPE needs. To learn more, visit www.appliedmedical.com/covid.

SMALL BUSINESS RESOURCES:
COVID-19 NEWS:
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MODIFIES ENTRY STRATEGY FOR INTERNATIONAL AIR PASSENGERS:*
  • On September 14, the Unites States has ended the requirement of flights carrying international travelers to land at one of the fifteen designated airports and have stopped entry health screenings. Mitigation focus has shifted to the individual passenger to conduct potential COVID-19 testing, electronic contact information collections, and more. 

COMMUNITY RESOURCES AND UPDATES
CALIFORNIA APPROVES REQUIREMENTS FOR NEW STATE SEAL OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT:*
  • Students who participate in civic learning and civics-related community projects will be eligible to receive the Seal of Civic Engagement on their diplomas, transcripts or a certificate of completion. The states goals is to provide the next generation a toolbox to understand democracy, build civic engagement skills, and insight community awareness.

HELP SERVE ORANGE COUNTY WITH THE HOT MEALS DRIVE THRU PROGRAM:*
  • OC meals provides dinner meals to residents who are 65 and up, single parents, unemployed individuals, and people with disabilities. Restaurants who would like to become food providers may apply here. 

BE RED CROSS READY:*

TOMORROW'S WEBINAR - WAKE UP NEWPORT – IS OUR VOTE SAFE?:

MEMBERS IN THE NEWS: 
UCI NAMED IN THE NATION’S TOP 10 PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES:*

CHEVRON DONATES TO CALIFORNIA FIRE RELIEF:*
  • Chevron Corporation pledges $250,000 from the Chevron Global Community Fund to the American Red Cross to assist community relief amidst California’s wildfires. With additional wildfire support, Chevron Corporation will match all donations pledged by current employees and retirees. 

OCBC BOARD MEMBER SAMUEL JOHNSON NAMED CEO OF TRANSPORTATION CORRIDOR AGENCIES:
  • An accomplished tolling executive, Johnson is the first person of color to helm TCA and Orange County’s first Black transportation leader. Continue reading.

WHERE TO GET TESTING IN OC:

MISSED OCBC'S PREVIOUS NEWSLETTERS? View them by clicking here. PLEASE SHARE THESE UPDATES WITH COLLEAGUES, FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
NOT AN OCBC MEMBER? JOIN TODAY!
Join OCBC and connect with the most influential companies and top executives actively engaged in creating a pro-business environment and prosperous economy. Hundreds of Orange County's leading businesses, cities and non-profit organizations represent an elite group from every industry cluster. But we need YOUR VOICE! For more info, contact  Natalie Rubalcava, OCBC Chief Operating Officer.
RESOURCES
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If you have questions on how to get connected with OCBC online,
contact James Alley, at 714.501.9893 or jalley@ocbc.org.
OCBC works to get you the best information in these difficult times fighting COVID-19, its health and economic impacts. Check your email often for important updates AND follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin. In addition, check out our COVID-19 Resources page on OCBC.org.