AN IMPORTANT
MESSAGE FOR
OUR MEMBERS.
Resource Guide for COVID-19

The Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce is monitoring news related to the Coronavirus carefully and will follow guidance related to closure and cancellations that come from state and local authorities. During this time, the Chamber office will be closed to the public and all upcoming events have been postponed until further notice. We will notify members and the public should the situation change. In an effort to assist businesses of all size plan for and minimize risks of spreading COVID19, we have compiled resources that can provide guidance for employers and answer your questions.

2-Question Survey

 The Georgia Chamber is conducting a survey of its members to assess how businesses and local communities are preparing to effectively manage COVID19.
Georgia Chamber COVID19 Conference Call

The Georgia Chamber hosted a member-wide press conference call that drew 1,000 participants to hear national and state experts in healthcare, business and the chamber industry share the latest information regarding COVID-19. Georgia businesses and local communities were encouraged to follow the leadership of Governor Kemp and his teams while continuing to make fact-based decisions related to individual operations.
 
“The Georgia Chamber is fully supporting state leadership on the COVID-19 global health challenge and we encourage everyone to do the same for the well-being of our citizens and our economy,” said Chris Clark, President and CEO of the Georgia Chamber.
 
Experts on the call included:
  • Brooks Nelson, Senior Director of Global Resilience for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation
  • Alejandro Contreras, Director of Preparedness, Communication and Coordination, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)
  • Matt Owenby, Chief Human Resources Officer, Aflac, Inc. -and-
  • Robert A. Bednarczyk, PhD, Assistant Professor, Emory University Hubert Department of Global Health & Rollins School of Public Health

Overall, the call demonstrated the collaboration of teams at both local and national levels to respond, mitigate and manage COVID-19, encouraging the business and local communities to remain calm and be smart.
 
Up-to-date information and resources can continue to be found on the Georgia Chamber website through its dedicated COVID-19 landing page, www.gachamber.com/covid19 .
Resources for Business

The Association for Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) has created a resource library to help Chambers and businesses prepare for the impacts of COVID-19 transmission in the United States. Learn more about implementing a series of actions that minimize impact on local communities and support the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) containment strategy.



The SBA provides low-interest disaster loans to help businesses and homeowners recover from declared disasters.

Letter from Macon Restaurants

A Message to Macon-Bibb Restaurant Supporters (March 13th):
 
"While your health and safety has always been and will continue to be of paramount importance to us, we’d like to share what we are doing to heighten safety and cleanliness measures for our guests at this time.
 
At Rookery, Dovetail, H&H, Natalia’s, Ocmulgee Brew Pub, Just Tap’d, Fall Line Brewing Company, Piedmont Brewery and Kitchen, Downtown Grill, Circa, Miramar, Jag’s Pizzeria, Bearfoot Tavern and Emerson Ballroom are, as is our custom, rigidly following National Serv-safe practices while also taking the following steps to ensure your safety:
 
  • Sanitizing all high-contact surfaces every 30 minutes. These include but are not limited to: POS stations, tables, countertops, door handles, menus, condiment containers, drink stations, etc.
  • Requiring all employees to increase standard handwashing practices to include an additional thorough washing every 20 minutes
  • Additional sanitizing stations have been placed throughout our locations
  • Ensuring all team members are healthy and insisting all sick employees stay at home 
 
We will continue to monitor information from The Department of Public Health, Georgia Restaurant Association, the CDC, the WHO and others to ensure we have the most up to date information and best practices to keep our guests and our staff safe.
 
If you wish to enjoy our food at home, our staffs are very efficient at taking to-go orders and we encourage guest to utilize our capacity to do so.
 
We will continue to do our part to monitor the situation and implement policies and procedures that make your safety and our staff’s safety the highest priority."

These restaurants owners would also like to invite other restaurateurs to be part of the discussion regarding Coronavirus. If you would like to be included in these discussions, please email Katelin Yates at  [email protected] .
Additional Information Here

The primary things that can be done now are preventative measures, including:
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. 
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands. 
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick. 
  • Stay home when you are sick. 
  • Cough or sneeze into your elbow or use a tissue to cover it, then throw the tissue in the trash. 
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces. 
  • The best prevention against the flu is vaccination. Flu is still widespread and active in Georgia - it's not too late to get a flu shot.

Follow these links for the most up-to-date information: