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Tuesday, April 27, 2021 | View as Webpage
DISNEYLAND REOPENS, HIGH HOME PRICES, J&J VACCINE RESUMED, DROUGHT READINESS, FUTURE OF WORK AND MORE! 
HOT OFF THE PRESS
DISNEYLAND AND DISNEY CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE REOPEN THIS WEEK:* 
  • Disneyland and DCA will bring back the magic this Friday, April 30. Attendance will be limited to California residents and all visitors will need advanced reservations and theme park tickets. Pandemic protocols are in place to ensure the safety of all visitors and staff. Read more.

GOOD NEWS ON COVID-19 PROGRESS:*
  • Thanks to continued gains in COVID-19 vaccinations and ongoing efforts to practice good health and safety protocols, a number of positive milestones were reached on the global pandemic stage:
  • After a temporary pause, the FDA and CDC once again recommend the use of Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine and CA officials announced the resumed use of the J&J shot. Data shows J&J COVID-19 vaccine’s benefits outweigh risks. Read more. 
  • Officials in the U.K. downgraded COVID from a pandemic to an endemic situation, where the virus is circulating at a low, largely controllable level.
  • Dr. Fauci and other experts said the risk of catching the virus outside is very low, and the Biden Administration is getting ready to relax public health guidance on outdoor masks.
  • European Union officials announced that fully vaccinated American tourists will be able to travel to the EU this summer. Read more.
  • Click here for OC Health Care Agency's vaccine resources. Scroll down for info on two new free mass vaccine sites.

HOME PRICES REACH RECORD HIGH AS HOUSING PRODUCTION CONTINUES TO DECLINE:* 
  • The state median home price reached a record-high $759,990 in March 2021. This is in part due to a substantial shortfall of new housing units—CA approved only 102,800 new housing units in 2020, which was 8.8% less than 2019 and far short of the Governor’s goal of building 500,000 new units annually. CA and OC need tools to incentivize new workforce housing. Read more.

SOCAL HEALTH GLOBAL EXPANSION PARTNERSHIP TOWNHALL:* 
  • SoCal Health GEP is an internationally-focused arena for healthcare industry stakeholders and companies to discuss global opportunities and leverage each other's expertise. All industry representatives in the SoCal health and life sciences ecosystem are invited to join the forum on April 28 at 8:30 a.m. Register today!

GOVERNOR PROCLAIMS DROUGHT A STATE OF EMERGENCY:* 
  • On April 21, Gov. Newsom declared a drought emergency in Northern California. Read this statement from Gloria Gray, The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Board Chairwoman, commending its members and customers for years of water conservation and actions that position Southern California to be well-prepared for future drought conditions.

ANAHEIM PUBLIC UTILITIES' EMERGENCY SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE:*  
  • Anaheim Public Utilities aims to support small businesses and non-profits through electric bill credits. Businesses that meet the eligibility criteria could qualify for up to $1,000 in credits. Applications will be accepted until April 30. Apply now! 
ADVOCACY UPDATE
HOUSING 101 WEBINAR SERIES:*
  • The next OCCOG housing webinar co-hosted by OCBC, BIA-OC, ACC-OC, and ULI-OC/IE, "Bridging Housing Attainability, Affordability & Community Goals," is tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. Speakers include OCBC's Workforce Housing Committee Co-Chair Susan Hori from Manatt, Phelps & Phillips! Register here.

SCNG UNDERSCORES NEEDED OPPOSITION TO AQMD RULE:
  • The Southern CA News Group editorial board recently penned this editorial highlighting the negative impacts on jobs and the economy that AQMD's proposed warehouse rule will have. OCBC opposes this rule and encourages members to add their opposition in advance of AQMD's next Governing Board meeting on May 7.

BUSINESS RESOURCES
TWO NEW FREE VACCINE SITES:*
  • Providence has partnered with Edwards Lifesciences, and the Cities of Irvine, Santa Ana, Costa Mesa and Tustin to open two free mass COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics. Once fully operational, the two sites together will be able to vaccinate up to 4,000 residents per day, with the ability to expand depending on vaccine supply. Read more here. Businesses interested in offering employees free vaccines may contact Jordan Abushawish for more information.

ACTIVITY AND BUSINESS TIER UPDATES:* 
  • California Department of Public Health made updates to the Activity & Business Tiers Chart. Modifications impact gatherings, private events, indoor performances and more. Check here to see if your industry has been impacted.   

U.S CHAMBER GLOBAL FORUM ON ECONOMIC RECOVERY:  
  • Join the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's first annual Global Forum on May 18-19. The virtual event will focus on economic recovery and ways to create healthier communities, support entrepreneurship and expand access to innovative technologies. Don't miss the opportunity to hear from top thought business and government leaders. Register today!

SOCALGAS NEW BUSINESS CONSULTANT WEBINAR:  
  • Join SoCalGas' New Business Consultant Webinar on May 19 from 9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. to learn about their new business processes as well as enhancements for customers. The workshop will also highlight planned timelines, project submittal and requests for SoCalGas Accounts. Attendees will have time to voice questions for the Customer Energy Solutions team with an interactive Q&A. Register now!    

ADDITIONAL COVID-19 RELIEF FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED BUSINESSES:* 
  • On April 21, President Biden announced a new paid leave tax credit that will offset the cost for employers with less than 500 employees to provide full pay when their employees get a COVID-19 vaccination or recover from that vaccination. For more information, click here.  

RESTAURANT REVITALIZATION FUND:*  
  • The U.S. Restaurant Revitalization Fund aims to provide restaurants with funds equal to their pandemic-related revenue loss. Recipients are not required to repay anything as long as funds are used no later than March 11, 2023. The U.S. Small Business Administration will administer funds to small restaurants that the pandemic has hit the hardest. For more information or details on eligibility requirements, click here. 
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
MARE’S VIRTUAL OCEAN ADVENTURE:* 
  • Join Marine Research & Exploration (MARE) for a Virtual Ocean Adventure! Mark your calendars for MARE Day on May 4 to honor the ocean, celebrate advances in marine technology, and learn more about our work to explore our blue planet! This will be a day filled with ocean exploration, deep sea science and support of ocean wilderness. Sign up today! 
MEMBERS IN THE NEWS
JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT POSTS MARCH 2021 STATISTICS:*
  • Airline passenger traffic at John Wayne Airport has started to rebound from pandemic levels. In March 2021, the Airport served 385,396 passengers, an increase of 14% compared to March 2020 levels. Read more. 

FRIENDLY HILLS BANK EXPANDS BRANCHES TO OC: 
  • Friendly Hills Bank will acquire three Bank of Southern California branches. This expansion includes branches located in Orange, Redlands and Santa Fe Springs, California. “These offices and the communities which they serve are a strong fit with our local community bank model,” said Jeffrey K. Ball, Chief Executive Officer of Friendly Hills Bank. “This transaction provides us with an opportunity to extend our quality service model for relationship-based banking and payroll processing services. Read here for more details.
UPCOMING EVENTS AND MEETINGS
OCBC EVENTS
Economic Development Forum Series: Part 1 - Safe Travels 
May 20 | 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Join OCBC’s Economic Development Forum Series, Part 1, Safe Travels to hear from industry experts on the return of tourism, travel, leisure and transportation industries in OC.  
Register here. For more information contact Lauren Martin, OCBC Events Manager. 

Chairman’s Leadership Breakfast Series featuring Lewis Cornell
May 26 | 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Grab your coffee and bagel and join OCBC virtually for the first Chairman’s Leadership Breakfast of 2021 featuring Lewis (Lou) Cornell, President and Chief Executive Officer, WSP USA, once of the largest engineering and professional services firms in the U.S.
Register here. For more information contact Lauren Martin, OCBC Events Manager.
 
COMMITTEE MEETINGS
May 7 | 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Join OCBC for updates with Senator Josh Newman and Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley.
Register with Connor Medina, OCBC Government Affairs Manager.
 
May 11 | 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Register with Connor Medina, OCBC Government Affairs Manager.

May 12 | 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Join OCBC in the promotion of diversity, equity and inclusion. DE&I officers or other executives focused in this space are welcome to participate.
Register with Jesse Ben-Ron, OCBC V.P. of Workforce and Economic Development.
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.