Update for Wednesday, May 20, 2020

• All essential businesses with employees working and interacting with the public qualify to have their staff tested for COVID-19. Businesses reopening in Phase 1 also qualify to have employees tested. To find a testing site, you can use the test site finder HERE.
• The NY Department of Labor has released a FAQ page for employers in regards to COVID-19, including questions on Unemployment Insurance, Shared Work and Job Refusal. The page can be found HERE.
• The US Department of Labor has adopted revised policies for enforcing OSHA’s requirements with respect to coronavirus as economies reopen in states throughout the country. The revised policies cover increased in-person inspections at all types of workplaces, and the enforcement policy for recording cases of coronavirus. Both policies can be found HERE.
• The US Chamber of Commerce recently released a useful and easy to follow guide on what businesses need to do to apply for forgiveness of their PPP loans. Access the guide HERE.
• That State has updated the guidance on what types of organizations are considered essential. The updated guidance can be found HERE.
• While the Mid-Hudson region has NOT yet met the criteria to begin phase 1 of reopening, all businesses, including essential businesses, must develop a COVID-19 Health and Safety Plan. A template for a plan may be found HERE. Please note: This plan does not need to be submitted to a state agency for approval, but must be retained on the premises of the business and must be made available to the New York State Department of Health (DOH) or local health or safety authorities in the event of an inspection.
• In today’s (Wednesday) press conference Governor Andrew Cuomo said beginning Thursday, religious ceremonies can take place as long as there are less than 10 individuals gathered and social distancing efforts are in place. The Interfaith Advisory Committee will be convening to determine how religious institutions can reopen fully going forward.
• Governor Cuomo said there has not been a date set to reopen casinos because they are considered large gathering venues. Casinos run by Native American tribes have announced reopening dates because technically they are sovereign and cannot be closed by the state.
• Governor Cuomo reiterated if any region has their various indicators rise after they begin the reopening phases, the state will shut that region back down.

If you have any questions regarding the information in this notification or any other business related concerns and suggestions, please email Contact@DutchessBNN.com. Please do NOT contact elected officials regarding information in this email as they are currently inundated with handling the government response to this crisis. This network was created to help coordinate responses and share the burden, and we ask that you please contact us with any questions or concerns so our elected officials can focus on their task at hand. Thank you for your continued support through this time.

If you were forwarded this email, but would like to be added to the email list, please let us know by emailing contact@DutchessBNN.comPOWERED BY

Update for Tuesday, May 19, 2020

• Horse and car racing tracks will be allowed to reopen without fans beginning June 1. The state will give additional guidance in the coming week.
• Additionally, Governor Cuomo supports reopening major league sports, but without fans. He has not yet commented on the status of minor league sports, including the Hudson Valley Renegades.
• The New York State Senate will reconvene for session starting next Tuesday. They will be focusing on COVID-19 related issues, including housing regulations, but have not released an agenda yet. Any legislation impacting the business community will be shared as it is made available.
• An updated FAQ document concerning the reopening of industries through NY FORWARD has been released by the state. It can be found HERE.
• In today’s (Tuesday) press conference Governor Andrew Cuomo said the state would begin a pilot program to allow visitations to hospitals. No hospital in Dutchess County is included in this pilot but if it is successful, the pilot program will be expanded throughout the state.
• The governor said once the downstate regions begin to reopen, the MTA will have policies in place to have the capacity to provide safe commuting services.
• Sector specific reopening requirements have been posted by the state, including:
  • Be in a designated industry and approved region.
  • Adopt a written reopening plan consistent with state guidance and standards – including applicable Executive Orders. Written plans must be maintained and posted on site, but do not need to be submitted to the state.
  • Fully implement its reopening plan, including required employee outreach and training.
  • Affirm to the state that the employer has read and understands its obligation to operate in accordance with state guidance.
  • Stay current. Consult the NY Forward website on a periodic basis or whenever notified of the availability of new guidance.

If you have any questions regarding the information in this notification or any other business related concerns and suggestions, please email Contact@DutchessBNN.com. Please do NOT contact elected officials regarding information in this email as they are currently inundated with handling the government response to this crisis. This network was created to help coordinate responses and share the burden, and we ask that you please contact us with any questions or concerns so our elected officials can focus on their task at hand. Thank you for your continued support through this time.

Masks for You = Masks for Frontline Workers!

When you purchase our masks for yourself, your family, or your organization you are also helping provide masks to essential workers on the frontlines!

Our masks are homemade by Hudson Valley workers though a partnership between Mutual Aid Beacon and Hudson Valley immigrant leaders Ignacio Acevedo and Alfredo Pacheco Cruz. These sales support unemployed immigrant workers who may not be able to access unemployment funds. 

ABOUT OUR MASKS

Our cotton masks are washable and durable for re-use. Both child-sized and adult masks use the design shown in the photo.  Fabrics are chosen with love and care by local artists. 

THE DETAILS

Masks are $10 each. $7 per masks goes to pay workers making the masks and $3 per mask is used for supplies and coordination. For every mask purchased, two masks are made and distributed to frontline workers, including farm workers, domestic workers and others.

For large orders of 50 or more, we offer a $350-$500 sliding scale based on the size of your organization and a flat $25 shipping fee. Please email mutualaidbeacon@gmail.com to arrange a bulk order.

Front porch pickup in Beacon, NY or delivered to you with USPS shipping

QUESTIONS?

Email us at mutualaidbeacon@gmail.com (and include “MASKS” in the subject line) or text us at 845-288-2559.

For updates, check out our Facebook page.

Update for Monday, May 18, 2020

• Empire State Development (ESD) has just published an online tool to help businesses determine whether or not they are eligible to reopen, and the public health and safety standards with which they must comply. The tool can be found HERE.
• ESD has also updated the guidance for essential businesses that are allowed to be open before Phase 1. Included in that list is golf courses and driving ranges, but food and retail services at the courses must remain closed. This does allow carts to be used on the courses. That guidance can be found HERE.
• The SBA has released the instructions and application for Paycheck Protection Program loan forgiveness. They can be found HERE.
• The U.S. Department of Labor has issued a final rule to provide greater simplicity and flexibility to retail industry employers when it comes to which employees are exempt from overtime. If an employee is primarily paid by commission, they now may be exempt from qualifying for overtime. The press release and rule can be found HERE.
• Reminder: In order to reopen when it is authorized, a business must fill out, and have on premises, a copy of the company’s reopening safety plan. A template of the plan can be found HERE.
• In today’s (Monday) press conference Governor Andrew Cuomo said houses of worship, and other areas where a lot of individuals gather to participate, would be allowed to reopen in Phase 4. The state is looking at ways to allow these organizations to reopen with limited capacity and social distancing measures in place.
• The governor said testing kits and capacity were being set aside for nursing home staff because of his new Executive Order requiring all staff members be tested twice a week. This follows concerns brought by nursing home and long-term care facilities regarding the availability of testing for employees.
• Governor Cuomo said the 14 day minimum between phases is due to the incubation period of the virus.

If you have any questions regarding the information in this notification or any other business related concerns and suggestions, please email Contact@DutchessBNN.com. Please do NOT contact elected officials regarding information in this email as they are currently inundated with handling the government response to this crisis. This network was created to help coordinate responses and share the burden, and we ask that you please contact us with any questions or concerns so our elected officials can focus on their task at hand. Thank you for your continued support through this time.

Update for Friday, May 15, 2020

• To view a recording of today’s webinar, Paycheck Protection Program Forgiveness Guidelines, click HERE.
• A new FAQ document has been published by the Treasury Department regarding the Paycheck Protection Program. Included in this updated document is the answer to “How will SBA review borrowers’ required good-faith certification concerning the necessity of their loan request?” That document can be found HERE.
• In today’s (Friday) press conference Governor Andrew Cuomo said the Mid-Hudson Region would continue to follow the NY PAUSE measures until May 28. He also noted today that “as soon as a region hits its benchmark it can move to a Phase 1 reopening of the economy.” This will include manufacturing, construction, wholesale trade, agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting.
• The governor also extended the state’s stay at home order until June 13 in his latest Executive Order found HERE.
• Governor Cuomo recommended to assisted living and group home facilities to find ways to spread out their residents within the facilities to try to slow the spread within the facilities. He did not answer a question on if it was safe for facilities to continue to move staff between locations on a regular basis.
• Governor Cuomo also announced that hair stylists will now be able to reopen in Phase 2 of reopening. This reverses the announcement yesterday that hair stylists will not be included in Phase 2.
• Robert Mujica, the Budget Director for New York, said that if the state does not receive funds from the federal government by the end of May, the state would have to begin implementing the 20% cuts to schools, hospitals, and local governments.
• The House of Representative’s Committee on Small Business has released a summary of the effects the HEROES Act will have on small businesses. It can be found HERE. The Senate has not yet announced if this legislation will be put to a vote in that chamber of Congress, or if the legislation will be amended if it is voted on.

If you have any questions regarding the information in this notification or any other business related concerns and suggestions, please email Contact@DutchessBNN.com. Please do NOT contact elected officials regarding information in this email as they are currently inundated with handling the government response to this crisis. This network was created to help coordinate responses and share the burden, and we ask that you please contact us with any questions or concerns so our elected officials can focus on their task at hand. Thank you for your continued support through this time.

#RestartingDutchess

Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro hosted his 10th online COVID-19 Town Hall last night, informing residents about the latest news about the local impact of the pandemic, plans regarding “NY Forward” and “Restarting Dutchess,” an update on testing of residents in nursing home facilities for COVID-19, among other topics.

This week’s online event was also a tele-town hall, allowing residents to call in, listen to County Executive Molinaro’s presentation and ask questions; thousands of residents took part in the tele-town hall component, in addition to the online audience.

In addition to answering residents’ questions, highlights from today’s discussion included: 

• County Executive Molinaro gave an overview of the Governor’s “NY Forward” plan for reopening and how Dutchess County fits into it. Dutchess is one of seven counties in the “Mid-Hudson Region” and to begin the re-opening process, the region must meet seven criteria.  Currently, the region meets five of the seven, and is trending in the right direction. However, the final two criteria the region must meet – 14 consecutive days of decline in new hospitalizations and 14 consecutive days of decline in deaths – will prove extremely difficult for the region, including Dutchess County, to meet.  A single day with an increase over the previous day in either category resets the 14-day clock. The County Executive noted that without some adjustment to those metrics, the Mid-Hudson Region could be forced to wait much longer than originally anticipated to enter “Phase 1” even though there is overall improvement in all categories.

New York State’s Required Regional Metrics for ReOpening 
https://forward.ny.gov/regional-monitoring-dashboard

Once a region meets all the criteria and receives the green light from New York State – reopening will occur in four phases, with an anticipated two weeks between each phase. Businesses and activities eligible to reopen in each of the four phases are as follows under the NY Forward plan: 

     Phase One:

• Construction
• Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting
• Retail – (Limited to curbside or in-store pickup or drop off)
• Manufacturing
• Wholesale Trade

     Phase Two:

• Professional Services
• Retail
• Administrative Support
• Real Estate / Rental & Leasing

     Phase Three:

• Restaurants / Food Services

     Phase Four:

• Arts / Entertainment / Recreation
• Education

 More information about the NY Forward is available at  https://forward.ny.gov/

• Following last month’s announcement that Dutchess County would seek COVID-19 testing for every nursing home resident in the County, the Department of Behavioral & Community Health (DBCH) successfully procured 3,600 tests, enough to test every resident in the 13 nursing home facilities in the County. The first round of testing began last week at Wingate at Beacon and the Pines at Poughkeepsie, with additional nursing homes beginning testing this week. Nursing home testing is expected to be completed within the next two weeks, and Dutchess County will continue to provide nursing home facilities with supplies, support, guidance, and staff training.

As a result of the County’s efforts:  

• 104 residents were tested at Wingate at Beacon, with  13 new cases of COVID-19 identified; 
• 157 residents were tested at The Pines at Poughkeepsie with 6 new cases of COVID-19 identified.
• To date, there have been no cases of Pediatric Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome in Dutchess County.  The Department of Behavioral & Community Health issued a public health alert to health care providers regarding Pediatric Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome, including signs and symptoms as well as reporting procedures.   
• In observance of National Police Week, County Executive Molinaro also recognized the bravery, commitment and sacrifice of the law enforcement officers throughout Dutchess County, including the brave men and women at the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office, who serve in myriad ways.

County Executive Molinaro will host another COVID-19 Town Hall on Friday, May 15th at 2 p.m. As with all previous town hall forums, the May 15th event will be broadcast live on the Dutchess County Government Facebook page, and American Sign Language interpreters will translate the conversation. Past online COVID-19 community conversations are archived on the County’s Coronavirus webpage.

Dutchess County Government continues to provide residents the most current information on its COVID-19 Community Impact Dashboard, as well as guidance on its website, dutchessny.gov/coronavirus, its Coronavirus hotline, (845) 486-3555, and its Facebook and Twitter accounts.