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Tuesday, May 4, 2021 | View as Webpage
COVID-19 IMMUNITY, VACCINE FINDER, SMALL BUSINESS $6.2B TAX CUT, VOICE FOR GIRLS AND MORE!
HOT OFF THE PRESS
UCI STUDY SHOWS COVID-19 VACCINE IS SUPERIOR FOR IMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT:*  
  • A large-scale UCI study shows that natural infection protects against COVID-19, but mRNA vaccines like Pfizer and Moderna offer stronger protection. COVID-19 vaccines are superior because they protect against COVID-19 variants, whereas immunity by natural infection will not. “This is a pretty spectacular thing,” said Philip L. Felgner, one of the researchers and director of UCI’s Vaccine Research and Development Center and Protein Microarray Laboratory and Training Facility. “It’s not just doing something for a relatively small group of patients with uncommon disease — here we’re talking about saving the whole world.” Read more.  

FEDERALLY SUPPORTED VACCINE FINDER:*  
  • Find a COVID-19 vaccine with the VaccineFinder, available in both English and Spanish. Or text your ZIP code to 438829 (GETVAX) and 822862 (VACUNA) to find three locations nearby that have vaccines available. Schedule an appointment today!  

GOVERNOR APPROVES $6.2B TAX CUT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES:*   
  • On April 29, Gov. Newsom signed a bill that offers small businesses hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic a $6.2 billion tax cut over the next six years. Under this new law, businesses' forgiven federal PPP loans will not be counted as taxable income and costs for expenses paid for by PPP loans can now be deducted.

SANTA ANA WINS SCAG AWARD:*  
  • Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) 2021 Sustainability Awards recognizes excellence in land use and transportation to improve mobility, livability, prosperity and sustainability. Congratulations to the City of Santa Ana for its Outstanding Achievement in Sustainability Award for the Santa Ana Arts Collective (SAAC) Affordable Housing and Adaptive Reuse Community!

VOICE FOR GIRLS 2021:* 
  • Join Girl Scouts of OC, community and business leaders for a virtual forum on May 7 at 9 a.m. to support OC girls and encourage their leadership potential. There will be a live keynote and panel discussion. Register today!
ADVOCACY UPDATE
SHARE HOUSING PRIORITIES WITH STATEWIDE LEADERS:* 
  • Join HCD on May 27 at 9 a.m. for a virtual listening session on efforts to update the CA Statewide Housing Plan. Participants are welcomed to share their thoughts and ideas on CA’s housing challenges and opportunities in a closing breakout session. Register now!

AQMD CONSIDERS DETRIMENTAL WAREHOUSE RULE THIS WEEK:*
  • OCBC added its voice to a growing list of opposition from business, industry, and taxpayer representatives across the state concerned with South Coast AQMD's proposed Warehouse Indirect Source Rule, up for consideration by AQMD's Governing Board on May 7. At a time when goods movement and supply chain efficiency is even more critical, this costly and duplicative regulation will cost jobs and fall short on its air quality improvements.

BUSINESS RESOURCES
SPEAKERS ANNOUNCED FOR U.S CHAMBER GLOBAL FORUM:*
  • The U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Global Forum on Economic Recovery on May 18-19 will feature Republic of Colombia President H.E. Iván Duque and executives from Google, UPS, Softtek, among others. The virtual event will focus on economic recovery and ways to create healthier communities, support entrepreneurship and expand access to innovative technologies. Register today!

CALMATTERS’ FUTURE OF WORK IN POST-COVID CA:
  • Join CalMatters and the Milken Institute for a webinar series that explores CA’s post-COVID recovery from recession and progress toward an economy centered on equity, mobility and opportunity. The first webinar, featuring CA Business Roundtable President Rob Lapsley, will be on May 11 at noon. Register here! 

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.   

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. To register for an upcoming webinar by the OC/IE SBDC, click here.
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
VIRTUAL OC SENIOR SUMMIT 2021:*  
  • Join Supervisor Lisa Bartlett, OC Office on Aging and Age Well Senior Services for the 2021 Virtual OC Senior Summit. Safe and Healthy Senior Living in the Age of COVID-19 will be broadcasted daily in May at 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Cox Communications Channel 39. For more info click here.   

VCS ENVIRONMENTAL CELEBRATES 25 YEARS OF SERVICE:* 

OC COMMUNITY COLLEGES WORKFORCE NEEDS ASSESSMENT:*  
  • OC Community Colleges invites people in the Retail/Hospitality and Tourism industry to take a brief 5-question Workforce Needs Assessment. Feedback will help OC colleges gauge how to better serve local industries/employees/future workforce with conventional career education programs or more nimble short-term training options.

MEMBERS IN THE NEWS
MEMORIALCARE ORANGE COAST AND SADDLEBACK MEDICAL CENTERS EARN HIGH HONORS:* 
  • MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center and MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center have earned top national honors for hospital safety, receiving an “A” Safety Grade from the Leapfrog Group, an independent national organization committed to health care quality and safety. This honor recognizes MemorialCare’s success in prevention of medical errors, injuries, accidents, infections and other safe patient care measurements. 

VERIZON LAUNCHES SMALL BUSINESS DAYS:
  • Verizon is committed to assist small businesses in growth and recovery. On April 29, Small Business Days launched, which offers small businesses complimentary tech evaluations, waived fees, a 10-year price guarantee for 5G Business Internet and many more special discounts. Small Business Days will be at all Verizon retail locations. Small business customers can receive virtual appointments here by clicking "Request a Business Sales Appointment."  
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. Thank you sponsors: Amazon, Cal State Fullerton, and John Wayne Airport.
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 an update from Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley.
Register with Connor Medina, OCBC Government Affairs Manager.
 
May 11 | 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Join OCBC for a federal transportation and infrastructure update from Charles Small, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Intergovernmental Affairs, U.S. Department of Transportation.
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.