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Tuesday, March 30, 2021 | View as Webpage
ORANGE TIER FOR OC? DISNEYLAND FORWARD, OC SUPERPOD, VACCINE ELIGIBILITY EXPANDS, NEW AMAZON HUB, AND MORE!
HOT OFF THE PRESS
OC COULD TRANSITION TO ORANGE TIER AS SOON AS TOMORROW:* 
  • OC's positivity rate continues to plummet, placing the county within reach of the orange tier. Orange tier transition would allow businesses to reopen and places like retail stores, gyms, churches, movie theatres, museums, zoos and aquariums to expand capacity. Keep up the great work OC and get vaccinated! And get tested! Read more. 

DISNEYLAND RESORT UNVEILS PLAN FOR FUTURE WITH DISNEYLAND FORWARD:* 
  • Disneyland Forward is an innovative multiyear public planning effort that would allow for a more immersive experience and create thousands of new jobs. Disneyland Forward will be created by the utilization of existing resources and approvals. Read more. 

OC SET TO OPEN ANOTHER MAJOR VACCINATION SITE:*
  • The new vaccination site will debut at the fairgrounds in Costa Mesa on Wednesday, a day before residents 50 years and older become eligible for inoculations.

TODAY! HOW TO LAUNCH YOUR BUSINESS ON AMAZON:*
  • Join OCBC and Amazon for a discussion today at 10 a.m. on how to get started selling in Amazon’s store, brought to you by Amazon Small Business Academy. This free virtual webinar will also feature remarks by Rep. Lou Correa. Register here!

CA EXPANDS VACCINE ELIGIBILITY FOR AGES 50 TO 64 - REGISTER NOW:* 

WASHINGTON, TEXAS, FLORIDA TOP NEW RANKING OF INNOVATION HUBS:*
  • Although California scores high for its thriving tech sector, the state’s overall grade is weighed down by red tape, high taxes and other state regulations," said Tim Draper, Co-Founder, Draper Hero Institute. "California has a wide lead over any other state on any measure of actual innovation - but it has a less market-oriented government and has higher taxes." Read more! Kudos to OCBC’s own Dr. Wallace Walrod who spearheaded the research for Draper.

TODAY'S WEBINAR - U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE NOW + NEXT: NORTH KOREAN MILITARY HACKERS COMMIT CYBERATTACK:* 
  • Join U.S. Chamber of Commerce today at 2 p.m. for a webinar focused on cybersecurity threats to businesses. Hear from panelists who worked on the front lines of the Lazarus Group attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment. The panel will highlight how businesses can learn from the incident and protect themselves with strategic and tactical risk mitigation measures. Register today! 

HIGHER EDUCATION IN TRANSITION:*
  • We are at a critical moment in higher education. The events of 2020 made for an atypical school year for most college students. Prior to COVID-19, institutions of higher learning faced several obstacles, and when the pandemic began, the challenges heightened. PCL Construction and Perkins & Will conducted research into how multiple campuses across Southern California were adjusting to COVID-19; from remote learning and student engagement to equity and equality. Interviews with these campuses are the basis for strategies and interventions higher education institutions can utilize to help plan for a safe campus return. Read more. 

ORANGE COUNTY COVID-19 UPDATE AND POD SCHEDULE
ADVOCACY UPDATE
JOBS NOT POLITICS:*
  • Statewide coalition “Californians for a Safe and Rapid Recovery” launches to oppose government-mandated premium pay that is counterproductive for workers and hurts consumers and communities. In OC, the Cities of Irvine, Santa Ana, Buena Park, and Costa Mesa have adopted these “hero pay ordinances” for certain grocery and pharmacy workers. Read more about the negative implications for the economic recovery here.

BUSINESS RESOURCES
CALIFORNIA WORKERS: MODERNIZED TELECOMMUTING POLICIES TO BUILD EQUITY AND REDUCE COSTS:*
  • Despite being at the forefront of technological advances and innovation, California’s current policies related to teleworking have remained static. Prior to COVID-19, primarily the higher paid, highly educated Californians had the most access to the benefit of telecommuting. In an analysis of 2019 jobs data, 70 percent of all higher wage jobs (more than $100,000 average annual wage) occupations could do their work entirely from home. Read more!

BUSINESS GUIDANCE ON EMPLOYEE VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS:* 
  • In accordance with the FEHA employer may require their employees have and FDA-approved vaccination against COVID-19 infections. However, if an employee has a protected characteristic such as religious belief or disability then they may be exempt from vaccine requirement without penalty or discrimination. Read more. 

OUTSMART DISASTER WITH EDISON INTERNATIONAL:
  • Edison International has teamed up with Outsmart Disaster Campaign to offer resources and tools to mitigate business interruptions in times of a hazard or natural disaster. Resilient Business Challenge is a new program that focuses on preparation and recovery from disasters. Join other OC businesses on April 7 at 10 a.m. so your business can be more resilient when disaster strikes. To register, click here. 
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
PAINKILLERS ARE NOT ADVISED BEFORE COVID-19 VACCINE:* 
  • CDC recommends people avoid painkillers before their Covid-19 vaccine. CDC guidelines outline that painkillers prior to vaccination may diminish the immune system’s response. Read more.

SERVE OC TAXPAYERS AND HELP ADVISE COAST COLLEGES DEVELOPMENT:* 
  • Coast Colleges is seeking a taxpayer's representative to serve on the Citizens’ Oversight Committee responsible for reviewing expenditures from construction activity associated with the Measure M General Obligation Bond. Click here to learn more and apply! 

UNITED WAY’S 2021 SCORECARD EVENT, UNITED FOR FINANCIAL SECURITY:*
  • Join United Way on April 15 at 9 a.m. for the feature of their United for Financial Security initiative. Geared to ensure homeless community members have a place to call home, students have the ability to succeed in college and achieve career readiness and families have access to necessary resources. Register here.   

OCTA SEEKS VOLUNTEERS FOR CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE:*  
  • Do you know someone who wants to make a difference in OC transportation? OCTA is on the search for people to join its 34-member committee, which actively provides input on exploration of traffic improvements and participates in public communication. OCTA looks for dedicated community leaders interested in transportation issues. Learn more.
MEMBERS IN THE NEWS
AMAZON SPEEDS UP PACKAGE ARRIVAL IN SOUTHERN CA WITH NEW DELIVERY HUBS:* 
  • Amazon has quickly expanded to meet demands for faster e-commerce distribution. 2020 e-commerce sales estimates range from $792 billion to $861 billion. On Oct. 19 2020 Amazon purchased the old OC Register office in Santa Ana and plans to build a 112,485-square-foot last-mile distribution center. Last-mile delivery sites aim to get products through busy areas in as little as a day. Read more.
UPCOMING EVENTS AND MEETINGS
OCBC EVENTS
April 6 & 7, 2021 | 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Join OCBC for a series of exclusive virtual meetings with elected officials and state leaders.
For more information contact Jennifer Ward, OCBC Sr. V.P., Advocacy and Government Affairs.

April 27 | 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Join OCBC for an exclusive opportunity to hear from top elected officials and federal leaders.
For more information contact Jennifer Ward, OCBC Sr. V.P., Advocacy and Government Affairs.

COMMITTEE MEETINGS
April 14 | 8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Register with Jesse Ben-Ron, OCBC V.P., Economic and Workforce 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.
If you have questions on how to get connected with OCBC online,
contact James Alley, Director of Communications, at 714.501.9893 or jalley@ocbc.org.