Message from City of Pasadena Health Officer: The number of COVID-19 cases continues to grow in Pasadena and Los Angeles County. This puts your business at risk for significant disruption, since customers and employees may be infected with COVID-19. The Pasadena Public Health Department has seen multiple instances of employers who knew about cases, but did not report them to the Health Department. As a result, they had outbreaks with many customers, employees, and their family members ill or exposed. In many cases, public health protocols were not followed in work or break area, when employees let their guard down. Employers who thought that COVID-19 in their workplace could be ignored, or that they could manage it themselves without notifying the Health Department, suffered the consequences of disease spread among employees and customers, including closure of the business and negative publicity.
Employers are required to report suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases immediately to the Pasadena Public Health Department (call 626.744.6089 or email nursing@cityofpasadena.net), and to provide all requested information in a timely manner.
Failure to report an employee COVID-19 case may result in criminal prosecution under the California Health & Safety Code Section 101029 and 120295. Such violations will be enforced by the Police Department, City Attorney/City Prosecutor's Department, Public Health Department, and/or any other agency designated by the City Manager for enforcement.
LA County reported 57 more deaths and 1,603 new cases Thursday. As of Thursday, there have been 227,346 cases and 5,446 deaths from coronavirus in the county.
While new coronavirus infections in the U.S. have trended downward in recent days, the seven-day average of reported new daily cases in five major European cities has more than doubled since the end of July, with spikes centered around shopping centers, parties and workplaces, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Governments are tightening restrictions on gatherings, asking some travelers to quarantine and emphasizing the importance of masks, hoping this will be enough to curb the surge without a broader shutdown that might hurt the economy. “The virus is reaccelerating,” French President Emmanuel Macron said this week. “Much vigilance is needed.”
The U.S. still far exceeds all other countries in Covid-19 cases and deaths. Even with the recent uptick in Europe, the seven-day average of new cases in the U.S. is still about five times the number across Germany, France, Spain, Italy and the U.K.
Over the past week, an average of 46,020 new infections has been reported in the U.S., a decrease of about 17 percent from the average two weeks earlier, according to The New York Times. New case counts are increasing in nine states, declining in 24 states and Washington, D.C., and staying about the same in other states, according to The Times, although the average number of daily deaths remains around 1,000.
Also: There are more than 22.7 million confirmed cases globally, with more than 794,000 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker. In the U.S., there are nearly 5.6 million cases and more than 174,000 Americans have died.
Ending a series of weekly declines, new applications for unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose by 135,000 in the week ended Aug. 15, one of a number of signals that the economy isn’t close to being out of the woods. But the data do show the job market is improving, though more slowly than in the spring: The number of people collecting benefits through regular state programs, which cover most workers, decreased to about 14.8 million for the week ended Aug. 8, the lowest since April.
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Los Angeles County declined over the month to 17.5 percent in July 2020, from a revised 19.4 percent in June 2020, and was above the rate of 4.4 percent one year ago. Civilian employment increased by 74,000 to 4,064,000 in July 2020, while unemployment decreased by 95,000 to 863,000. The civilian labor force decreased by 22,000 over the month to 4,926,000 in July 2020. (All of the above figures are seasonally adjusted.) The unadjusted unemployment rate for the county was 18.2 percent in July 2020. Between July 2019 and July 2020, Los Angeles County nonfarm employment decreased by 424,900, or 9.4 percent.
The California seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 13.3 percent in July 2020, 14.9 percent in June 2020, and 4.0 percent a year ago in July 2019. The comparable estimates for the nation were 10.2 percent in July 2020, 11.1 percent in June 2020, and 3.7 percent a year ago.
Questions remain about which states will participate in the program to offer $300 a week in federally funded enhanced unemployment benefits.
For small-business owners, one-time changes to the tax code could help this year—whether your business is on the ropes or is booming.
Some people want businesses and even law enforcement to do more to enforce mask requirements in stores and other public places, Marc Fisher reports for The Washington Post. Thirty-four states and Washington, D.C., have mask requirements on the books.
“They need to meet them at the door and say they can’t come in,” says Frank DeRiso, a union president in upstate New York who wants a local supermarket to bar maskless shoppers from entry. “Tell them we’ll shop for you if you won’t wear a mask. People are getting sick and dying. It’s time to enforce this.”
Calirornia burning: At least five people have been killed in the wildfires that have scorched more than 700,000 acres in Northern and Central California. With the state already reeling from Covid-19, record heat and power outages, nearly 11,000 lightning strikes on bone-dry vegetation kindled some 370 separate fires, about two dozen of them considered major, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated and millions are being exposed to hazardous air pollution in the Bay Area and other locations. Hundreds of structures have been destroyed. One of those killed was the pilot of a fire-fighting helicopter that crashed in Fresno County, triggering another fire, the Los Angeles Times reported. Many of the people interviewed by the Times said that year after year of evacuations was wearing on them, and they are contemplating a move.
BEWARE: In the wake of emergency assistance available to help small businesses in response to the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), the SBA is urging disaster loan applicants seeking federal aid to be alert to phishing campaigns and scams. These malicious actors are impersonating the SBA and its Office of Disaster Assistance to collect personally identifiable information (PII) for fraudulent purposes.
NEW ROUND OF GRANTS:
LISC Neighborhood Grants: Thanks to generous funding from Lowe's, small business owners in your area are invited to apply for the Neighborhood Business Grant program. Before you apply, please note: Only businesses located in the designated cities are eligible to receive a Neighborhood Business Grant. Use this map to confirm eligibility. This program is separate from previous small business grant applications from LISC. You must submit a new application to be considered for a Neighborhood Business Grant. Application deadline is Sunday, August 23rd at 11:59 pm ET. Read More
Small Business, Big Heart Grant Program TMC Community Capital Grant Deadline Extended: August 28, 2020. Small businesses are the heart of our community, yet they have been hit the hardest by recent events. To help businesses on their path to recovery, TMC Community Capital is offering grant support. Access the link below to register for the Webinar to learn more. #TMCSmallBizBigHeart.
Residential Rent Relief: Applications are now open for LA County COVID-19 Rent Relief through August 31, 2020. Assistance is available for LA County renters, with the exception of residents living in the City of Los Angeles, as the City also received its own allocation of CARES Act funds and has its own programs for City Residents. Eligible renters must qualify based on income and have struggled to pay rent, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Their landlord must provide a W-9 and sign a participation agreement in order to have the rent paid on behalf of the tenant.
Apply at 211la.org/lacounty/rentrelief, which is available 24/7, or by dialing 2-1-1 between 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. FAQ here.
LA County Assessor's Disaster Relief Program
If your property has been damaged by this year's civil unrest incidents which began on May 26, 2020 (or by any natural disaster or unforeseeable occurrence, such as an earthquake, fire, flood, etc.) you may be eligible for property tax relief through the Disaster Relief Program offered by LA County Assessor Jeff Prang's Office. Those found eligible for disaster relief will see a temporary reduction on the assessed value of their property - and property taxes - which will remain in effect until damage repairs are completed. To qualify, applicants must have sustained a minimum of $10,000 in physical damage to their property; and must submit a Misfortune & Calamity Claim (M&C) within 12 months of the disaster date
Business owners considering this disaster relief should know: 1) Tax relief is only available for taxable property. Taxes are paid on business personal property (such as machinery, equipment, and furniture), but generally not on inventory or merchandise. 2) If the business rents the space, then relief for damage to business personal property (equipment and furniture) would be filed for by the business, while relief for damage to real property would be filed by the landlord. To learn more or apply to the County Assessor's Disaster Relief program, visit assessor.lacounty.gov/disaster-relief.
SBA Disaster Relief Deadline Has Been Extended
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) extended the deadline to apply for a disaster recovery loan to September 16, 2020 for LA County business owners who suffered physical or property damage due to the civil unrest incidents that began on May 26, 2020. Read this week's announcement for more on the deadline change and how you can apply.
Last week LA County announcedthe creation of a COVID-19 Rent Relief Program which aims to assist low-income renters and property owners who have struggled to pay their rent and/or who are behind on paying rent due to COVID-19. Today, we offer you a multi-lingual Toolkit and FAQs, so it's easier to share the good word before the application filing period (August 17 through August 31) comes and goes!
LA COUNTY RELIEF GRANTS
LISC LA has partnered with the County and City of Los Angeles along with other philanthropic partners to oversee and manage the new LA COVID-19 Regional Recovery Fund. The regional Fund will create a much-needed new wave of relief and recovery tools for small businesses, non-profits providing essential services, immigrant-owned enterprises and the most vulnerable Angelenos impacted by COVID-19. They have expanded the criteria to include more businesses. The first phase of the program includes a $3 million grant fund for microenterprises, small businesses and nonprofits.The Round 4 application period will open August 31st.
Before completing the application, please review our Grant Information and FAQ.
Please keep the following in mind:
- For business owners with multiple businesses, please answer this survey based on your largest business owned.
- Each awardee is limited to one grant.
- Grants will be made to qualified businesses and based on accurate and complete submission and verification of required documentation.