Round 2 of the State of California Grants is Open for Applications through February 8
During Round 1 of the California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Program, we at CalNonprofits held two webinars, published (and continue to update) FAQs, and individually responded to more than 1,200 nonprofits needing help with their applications. With the next application window for Round 2 about to open, State Senator Anthony Portantino is hosting a webinar with Janet Perez Shensky, VP of Strategic Partnerships, at Lendistry (the company chosen by CalOSBA to administer the program). Round 2: California Small Business (and Nonprofits!) Relief Grant Program (Webinar). Monday, February 1, 2021 from 2 pm to 3:15 pm. Register here (it's free but registration is required)
THIS WEBINAR WILL BE RECORDED. If you can't attend, please register and you will receive the recording and slides after the webinar.
PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM
First Draw (New Applications) & Second Draw (Returning Applications) Program Launched. The SBA, in consultation with the U.S. Treasury Department, began accepting applications for PPP Loans on January 11th (new applications) and January 13th (returning applications). To find a lender, use the SBA's Lender Match Tool. For more information and to submit an application, click here.
First Draw PPP Loans are for those borrowers who have not received a PPP loan before August 8, 2020. The first round of the PPP, which ran from March to August 2020, was a historic success helping 5.2 million small businesses keep 51 million American workers employed. Second Draw PPP Loans are for eligible small businesses with 300 employees or less, that previously received a First Draw PPP Loan and will use or have used the full amount only for authorized uses, and that can demonstrate at least a 25% reduction in gross receipts between comparable quarters in 2019 and 2020. The maximum amount of a Second Draw PPP loan is $2 million. Join the SBA Tuesday - Feb 2nd @ 11am for a webinar to discuss the PPP and get your questions answered!! NO REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED for this event. JOIN HERE
Vaccines:
Here is the link to sign up for info from Pasadena on vaccine appointments: https://healthforms.cityofpasadena.net/v/SeniorVaccine Here is the link to sign up through the state (for LA super vaccine sites): https://myturn.ca.gov Los Angeles County's COVID-19 Vaccine website, VaccinateLACounty.com has incorporated the State's new appointment registration platform, MyTurn. The registration system features a streamlined process for residents eligible to receive the vaccine. Those who are registered can receive alerts when new appointments become available, or when vaccinations are allowed for additional priority groups. Currently, MyTurn will make appointments for the County's five large capacity sites, as well as two other County-operated vaccination sites. Appointments for other locations, including pharmacies and clinics are also available. Residents with internet access and a computer are urged to use VaccinateLACounty.com to reserve an appointment. For those without access to the internet, or with disabilities, a call center is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. to help schedule appointments; dial 833-540-0473 if you are in need of assistance. Pleasenote that this phone line is reserved for people with disabilities or for those who don’t have internet access. With multiple safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines being rolled out over the next few months, it’s critical that we all get vaccinated when they are available. Many have questions about how these vaccines work, how they perform against the increasing number of mutations of the virus, and why the vaccines are essential to fighting this virus and returning us to normalcy. To help answer qeustions, Congressman Adam Schiff is hosting a live Q&A with Kristen Choi, PhD, RN, who will share her experience of receiving and administering COVID-19 vaccines, and providing mental health care and services during this pandemic.
Live Q&A on Vaccine Safety and COVID-19 with Kristen Choi, PhD, RN
Thursday, February 4 at 6:00pm PT
Register via Zoom or tune in on Facebook Live
If you have a question for Dr. Choi, please submit it via the Zoom registration
During the COVID-19 pandemic, scammers are using robocalls, social media posts, and emails to take advantage of fear, anxiety, and confusion about the pandemic. Now that the COVID-19 vaccine is in Los Angeles County, scammers are targeting local residents with new, vaccine-related schemes.
FACTS: Covid-19 vaccine is being distributed in a fair and transparent way. Covid-19 vaccine will be given to Los Angeles County residents at no cost and regardless of immigration status. Learn more at covid19.lacounty.gov.
Google has committed to providing $150 Million in COVID-19 Vaccine education and equitable access to the vaccine. Here is their recent blog post outlining this commitment - https://blog.google/technology/health/vaccines-how-were-helping/
Pasadena saw its 10,000th COVID-19 infection on Thursday. City officials reported 106 total cases this past weekend as new local coronavirus cases continued to decrease. On Saturday, the city reported 50 cases and two additional fatalities. On Sunday, the city reported 56 cases.
Pasadena saw a 64% decrease in new coronavirus infections last week, compared with the peak of this latest surge in early January. But, as a testament to the severity of the surge, infection rates are still higher than any period of the pandemic before Dec. 1 and the city’s weekly death toll is higher than ever before.
On average, the city reported 64.4 new cases each day this week, measuring from Jan. 23 to Jan. 29.
It’s a much better situation than previous weeks:
• Jan. 16 to Jan. 22: 88.1 daily new cases on average.
• Jan. 9 to Jan. 15: 129.3.
• Jan. 2 to Jan. 8: 179.1, marking the peak of this latest surge.
• Dec. 26 to Jan. 1: 122.6.
But it’s much worse than previous months:
• Nov. 28 to Dec. 4: 53.4, the beginning of this latest surge.
• Oct. 31 to Nov. 6: 10.7.
• Sept. 26 to Oct. 2: 7.1.
The 64.4 new cases reported each day on average this week is still two times more cases than the city was reporting on average during the height of the summer surge in July.
Despite declining caseloads, the city’s death rate only increased this week with 39 new deaths reported between Jan. 23 and Jan. 29, making it the deadliest week on record for Pasadena.
Overall, January has been the most deadly month on record for Pasadena: it reported six deaths in the first week, 17 in the second, 22 last week and now 39.
Before December, the city had reported just four separate weeks with more than 10 deaths throughout the entire pandemic.
Huntington Hospital, often seen as a barometer for the region’s health resources, hospitalizations finally began to fall in earnest this week, though they remain elevated compared to every other period of the pandemic.
Instead of nearly 200 patients in its coronavirus units, as was the case two weeks ago, the hospital counted 144 coronavirus patients as of Jan. 29. That’s 44 fewer patients than it had this time last week.
Similarly, last week, it was seeing an average of 20.5 new patients each day. This week, that’s down to 16.6. Its intensive care unit capacity is slowly improving as well, dropping from 36 to 29 patients over seven days.
Pasadena Revised Public Health Order & Industry Guidance
Last week, the State of California lifted the regional stay at home order returning the City of Pasadena to the Purple Tier of the State's Blueprint for a Safer Economy. This change essentially places the City back to the same business restrictions that were in place in early December, prior to the state order. A revised Pasadena Public Health Order will be issued this week.
The Pasadena Public Health Department has restricted restaurants from displaying TVs in their outdoor dining areas until further notice amid fears that upcoming Super Bowl Sunday could become a super spreader event, officials said Friday. Pasadena restaurants became free to reopen outdoor dining service Monday when Gov. Gavin Newsom lifted the regional stay-at-home order that had been in effect in L.A. County since early December. (L.A. County health officials gave restaurants the green light to reopen outdoor dining on Friday, with provisions including that they do not show television in their outdoor dining areas.)
In the meantime, industry protocols have been revised to reflect the latest updates in the anticipated Pasadena Public Health Order and to align with state guidelines. Revised protocols have been posted to the City's website and direct links can be found below:
- Office Workspace Protocols - Revised
- Personal Care Services Protocols - Revised
- Restaurants & Breweries Protocols - Revised
- Museums & Galleries Protocols - Revised
- Hotels, Lodging & Short Term Rentals Protocols - Revised
- Hair Salons Protocols - Revised
No-Fee Permits for Business Operations Outdoors
Pasadena businesses eligible to resume operations outdoors due to protocols related to COVID can apply for a no-fee permit through the City's Rapid Reopening Permit & Plan Check Approval Portal. To access the portal, click here.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health officials reported another 7,112 new COVID infections, lifting the cumulative 
According to figures provided by the state, there were 5,669 people hospitalized in the county due to COVID-19, including 1,498 in intensive care. That was down from 5,855 total patients on Thursday, continuing a downward trend that began in early January when the figure topped 8,000.
At the state level, the California Department of Public Health announced 19,337 new infections and 617 new deaths on Friday, bringing the statewide totals to 3,205,947 cases of the virus and 39,579 deaths. The state’s average positivity rate over the prior seven days had inched down to 7.4%, while the 14-day rate was recorded at 8.2%, according to the CDPH.
As of Friday, L.A. County represented 34% of California’s COVID-19 infections and 41% of the state’s fatalities.
Grants and Loans:
California will be offering a number of relief options for businesses impacted by COVID-19 restrictions. The state is creating a $500 million COVID-19 relief grant program, and a temporary tax relief program which, if fully utilized, is estimated to have billions in impact. Additionally, the state will expand the California Rebuilding Fund by $12.5 million, bringing the program’s total investment to $37.5 million. These efforts are informed by recommendations made by the Governor’s Task Force on Business and Jobs Recovery.
State COVID Relief Grant for Small Business:
The California Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA) will be administering the $500 million COVID Relief Grant at the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development for small businesses that have been impacted by COVID-19, and health and safety restrictions.
Funds will be awarded to selected intermediaries with established networks of Community Development Financial Institutions to distribute relief through grants of up to $25,000 to underserved micro and small businesses throughout the state by early 2021. Non-profits would also be eligible for these grants.
CalOSBA is establishing the program and will make it available to small businesses as soon as possible—for updates on availability visit https://business.ca.gov/.
Tax Relief Program:
In April 2020, the Governor, through Executive Order, allowed taxpayers to apply for penalty and interest relief for 90 days for any taxpayer reporting less than $1 million in sales on their tax return. Through November 22, some 9,287 plans with almost $149 million in tax relief have taken advantage of this program.
The Governor will direct the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration to do the following:
- Provide an automatic three-month extension for taxpayers filing less than $1 million in sales tax on the return and extend the availability of existing interest- and penalty-free payment agreements to companies (with up to $5 million in taxable sales);
- Expand interest-free payment options for larger businesses particularly affected by significant restrictions on operations based on COVID-19 transmissions; and
- Broaden opportunities for more businesses to enter into interest-free payment arrangements.
California Rebuilding Fund:
Lastly, the state is providing an additional $12.5 million to the California Rebuilding Fund, which helps impacted small businesses rebuild from the economic crisis and keep local economies strong. This program is built to be a resource in the market for the next year as businesses pivot and recover.
The additional funding will help the third party administrator of the fund raise $125 million to make more low-interest loans to small businesses with less access to loans from traditional banking institutions.
The California State Legislature passed legislation, SB 91, to extend the moratorium on evictions for non-payment of rent due to COVID-19 financial hardship, from January 31, 2021, to June 30, 2021.
Consumer Confidence:
Consumer confidence in the U.S. rose in January as expectations for the economy and the labor market improved, according to data from the Conference Board released Tuesday. The group’s consumer confidence index rose to 89.3 in January from 87.1 in December. January marks the first uptick rise in consumer confidence after two consecutive months of declines for the index. However, it remains below the October level of 101.4, which was the highest since the coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S., and February’s pre-pandemic level of 132.6. The January increase was driven by consumers’ more upbeat outlook for the economy and jobs, suggesting they foresee conditions improving in the not-too-distant future.
Economic Recovery:
The rate of the US economy’s rebound from the coronavirus-fuelled downturn slowed in the fourth quarter of 2020, weighed down by a deadly surge of cases over the holiday season. Gross domestic product advanced 4 per cent on an annualised basis, according to figures published Thursday by the US commerce department. Economic output advanced 1 per cent compared with the previous quarter, based on the measure used by other major economies.