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COVID NEWSLETTER, BANK OF AMERICA HOUSING COMMITMENT, 2ND DISTRICT CANDIDATE FORUM, HERD IMMUNITY & MORE! |
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HOT OFF THE PRESS:
SIGN UP FOR OC COVID-19 VACCINE NEWSLETTER:*
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Othena.com is now available in Spanish! 131,320 residents have been vaccinated and those who have been vaccinated will soon be notified of a second dose appointment. For the latest news on OC’s COVID-19 vaccine efforts, make sure to subscribe to the County’s vaccine newsletter.
ASM. PETRIE-NORRIS CONGRATULATES OCBC CHAIR JENA JENSEN, CHOC CHILDREN’S:*
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Check out this video from Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris congratulating OCBC’s 2021 Chair Jena Jensen, Chief Government Relations Officer for CHOC Children’s. Congrats Jena—your leadership is absolutely crucial for guiding Orange County through the pandemic!
ASM. QUIRK-SILVA INTRODUCES BILL PAVES WAY FOR THEME PARK REOPENING*
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Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva recently co-sponsored the bipartisan Assembly Bill 420. If passed, Disneyland and other theme parks could reopen safely in the “orange” Tier 3, instead of the lowest “yellow” Tier 4. OC would need to fall below a 5% positivity rate and the adjusted case rate must be below four new cases per 100,000 residents. Thank you, Asm. Quirk-Silva, for helping OC get on track towards reopening responsibly. Read more.
BANK OF AMERICA TRIPLES AFFORDABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP COMMITMENT:*
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OCBC commends BofA for tripling down on its affordable homeownership initiative, from $5 billion to $15 billion, that provides grants for down payment and closing costs along with low-costs mortgages. The Community Homeownership Commitment was first introduced in 2019 and has already helped more than 21,000 borrowers purchase a home with an affordable loan while providing $180 million in grants for down payments and closing costs, including new homeowners in Orange County. Learn more.
HELP YOUR EMPLOYEES INCREASE THEIR TAX REFUND WITH CA EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT:*
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Your employees could increase their tax refund on average by $3,000 if you encourage them to apply for the California Earned Income Tax Credit. Click here for eligibility and opportunities to receive assistance in filing their taxes.
OCPAA TO HOST STATE OF ORANGE COUNTY 2021 WITH CHAIRMAN ANDREW DO:*
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Orange County Public Affairs Association (OCPAA) will welcome Andrew Do, Chair of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, Orange County Transportation Authority and CalOptima, to present the State of Orange County 2021. The event will be held virtually on Wednesday, February 10 at 1:00 p.m. Register here.
SECOND SUPERVISORIAL DISTRICT CANDIDATE FORUM:
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OC Forum, in partnership with OCBC and OCTax, will host a candidate forum for the Second Supervisorial District special election. Learn how each candidate plans to address OC’s critical issues, including the vaccination roll-out, support for OC businesses, reopening Disneyland and more. The forum will be held virtually on Friday, February 12 at 12:00 p.m. Register here.
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ADVOCACY
OCBC, COUNTY AND CITIES URGE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO PRIORITIZE OC FOR VACCINES:*
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Rep. Lou Correa has called on the Biden administration to consider prioritizing vaccine distribution to Orange County, which has been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. OCBC joins Rep. Correa in this request. OC’s economy, businesses and jobs heavily rely on the tourism industry and are therefore acutely affected by closures caused by the coronavirus. Read OCBC’s letter. Read County of Orange Letter.
BUSINESS RESOURCES
JOIN CA FWD FOR WEEKLY WEBINAR SERIES ON RACIAL, ECONOMIC INEQUITIES:*
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On February 11 at 11:00 a.m., join CA FWD for Moving California Forward, the first part of their weekly Building Equitable Economies webinar series. Attendees will learn how to join California Forward’s diverse, cross-sector movement to create inclusive, sustainable growth. Learn more and register.
U.S. CHAMBER TO HOST WEBINAR ON FEDERAL UPDATES:*
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U.S. Chamber will host a free webinar on February 4 at 2:00 p.m. discussing President Biden’s America Rescue Plan for COVID-19, the 117th Congress and the pathway to rebuilding America’s infrastructure. Jennings Imel, Executive Director of the Western Region for U.S. Chamber, will present. Register here.
LEARN MORE ABOUT UK PARTNERSHIPS AFTER BREXIT:
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California-United Kingdom relations following the latter’s exit from the European Union will be the focus of an international virtual event hosted by the California Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, February 25 at 2:00 p.m. The special guest speaker will be Dr. Matt Beech, founding director of the Centre for British Politics at the University of Hull and senior fellow at the Institute of European Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. Register here.
SMALL BUSINESS RESOURCES
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COVID-19 NEWS
DR. CHAU AND COLLEAGUES: HERD IMMUNITY IS ONLY POSSIBLE WITH A VACCINE:*
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Without a vaccine, current knowledge suggests that about 70% of our residents would need to be infected before we reach herd immunity. A recent UCI/Orange County Health Care Agency study found that about 11-12% of our population has already been infected. If we allowed everyone to become infected until we reached the herd immunity “threshold” of 70%, about 2,240,000 Orange County residents would need to become infected—and between 5,600 and 7,840 of them would die. The best approach to taking control of COVID-19 is to build immunity through vaccination. Read more.
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
COUNTY OF ORANGE LAUNCHES EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS:*
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The County of Orange is accepting applications for the new Emergency Rental Assistance Program from renters who are experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19. This will help households pay rent and utilities. Anaheim, Santa Ana and Irvine residents cannot apply for the County program, but can apply for their City’s programs. To learn more and apply, click here.
ORANGE COUNTY VETERANS SERVICE OFFICE NEWSLETTER "BIG VOICE" LAUNCHES:*
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On military bases, Big Voice refers to loudspeakers that broadcast important messages. The newsletter will share important updates from Veterans Service Office for Orange County's veteran community. Learn more.
K-12 STUDENTS: TAKE PART IN MWDOC’S 2021 WATER AWARENESS POSTER CONTEST:*
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Municipal Water District of Orange County (MWDOC) is calling on OC students in grades K-12 to submit hand-drawn posters for the 2021 Water Awareness Contest. MWDOC encourages children and young adults to learn about the importance of water while expressing themselves through art. This year’s contest theme: Saving Together. Entries are due March 1, 2021. Learn more.
GET TESTED NOW! WHERE TO GET TESTING IN OC
MEMBERS IN THE NEWS
OCTA NEW OPERATIONS CENTER IN ANAHEIM:
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Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) will build a new, $38 million Transit Security and Operations Center in Anaheim to serve as a hub for dispatching, transit security, information system technologies and emergency operations. Read more.
MISSED OCBC'S PREVIOUS NEWSLETTERS? View them by clicking here. PLEASE SHARE THESE UPDATES WITH COLLEAGUES, FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
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NOT AN OCBC MEMBER? JOIN TODAY! |
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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.
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OC Community: Support Your Local Business!
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Support Local Restaurants!
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Giving Back
Donate, Volunteer or Host a Virtual Food Bank
Basic supplies needed
Help students with laptops & other financial assistance
Help support Vital Link's STEM and career pathways for students
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New items are noted with an *
If you have questions on how to get connected with OCBC online,
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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 the COVID-19 Resources page on OCBC.org.
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