The Saginaw County Chamber of Commerce has been actively advocating to pass Business Liability Legislation that would protect small business from frivolous COVID-19 lawsuits. The Chamber continues to partner with the Small Business Association, Michigan Chamber of Commerce and many other regional chamber partners to get this passed.

The No-Cost webinar geared to PPP borrowers and those supporting PPP borrowers will cover:

The Webinar will be held Tuesday, August 18, 2020 at 12:00 p.m.

Four million free masks are being provided to Michigan residents who are most vulnerable to COVID-19 through a partnership involving the state, Ford Motor Company and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Low-income residents, seniors, schools and homeless shelters will benefit from the MI Mask Aid partnership that is part of the Mask Up Michigan campaign.

The project is in partnership with Gov. Whitmer’s Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities chaired by Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II.

The free masks include 1.5 million from FEMA that the state has already sent to organizations that include local Community Action Agencies serving low-income residents, MDHHS offices, Area Agencies on Aging, homeless shelters and Native American tribes.

Another 1 million face coverings from FEMA and 1.5 million from Ford will go to low-income schools, the City of Detroit, Federally Qualified Health Centers, some COVID-19 testing sites and to many of the organizations listed above to reach vulnerable populations – including minority residents who have been affected by the public health crisis as a result of racism.

Anyone interested in receiving a free mask can find a distribution location by calling the COVID-19 Hotline at 888-535-6136 or looking up their local Community Action Agency online.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer sent a letter to President Trump on Wednesday requesting that he fully fund the Michigan National Guard forces during their COVID-19 response through December 31, 2020. Last week, the president made the decision to federally fund Guard activities at only 75% in every state except Florida, Texas, Arizona, Connecticut, and California, leaving states across the country with an additional cost during an unprecedented public health, economic, and budget crisis. Title 32 authority, which allows Guard members to receive federal pay and benefits, was previously set to expire on August 21 due to a deadline set by the Trump Administration.

Funding is still available for farms and agricultural processors with employees of 10 or more through the Michigan Agricultural Safety Grants program, as well as for small farms with fewer than 10 employees through the MEDC Small Farm Safety Grant program.

These funds can also help support costs associated with the MDHHS Emergency Order issued last week, requiring COVID-19 testing for agricultural and food processing employees throughout the state.

Learn more about the eligibility guidelines for each program at michiganbusiness.org/agsafety.