COVID-19 Federal Updates: May 20, 2020

• Total U.S. coronavirus deaths reported each morning this week: Monday, 89,564. Tuesday, 90,369. Wednesday, 91,938.

• Closure of the U.S. Canadian border to non-essential travel, which is set to expire Thursday, will likely be renewed for another month to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, media in Canada report.

• The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released recommendations for State and Local officials considering the reopening of nursing homes.

• Cleveland.com: The President will reportedly nominate Justin Herdman, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio in Cleveland, as the next prosecutor for the District of Columbia.

• Crain’s Cleveland: The U.S. economy will recover from the coronavirus pandemic, but the process could stretch through until the end of next year and depend on the delivery of a vaccine, said Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell.

Federal Information for Businesses:

• Information for Communities, Schools, and Businesses

• Workplaces during the COVID-19 Pandemic

• Restaurants and Bars during the COVID-19 Pandemic

• Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Facility

• Worker Safety and Support

• Coping with Stress for Workers

• Managing Workplace Fatigue during COVID-19

• COVID-19 Critical Infrastructure Sector Response Planning

• Implementing Safety Practices for Critical Infrastructure Workers Who May Have Had Exposure to a Person with Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19

• Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers

• Prepare your Small Business and Employees for the Effects of COVID-19

• General Business Frequently Asked Questions

• Interim Guidance on Respirator Supply in Non-Healthcare Sectors

• Information for Small Businesses

• SBA: COVID-19 Resources

• Treasury: Assistance for Small Businesses

• DOL: Guidance for Preparing Workplaces for Coronavirus

• DOL: COVID-19 and the American Workplace

• DOL: OHSA Resources for Workers and Employers on COVID-19

• WHO: Get Your Workplace Ready for COVID-19

• CISA: Risk Management for COVID-19

• CISA: Telework Guidance and Resources

• CISA: Guidance on the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce

Additional Resources

The employee retention credit is designed to encourage businesses to keep employees on their payroll. The amount of the credit is 50% of qualified wages paid up to an annual limit of $10,000, which equals a maximum credit amount of $5,000 for each employee for the year.

Eligible employers are employers who operate a trade or business and has experienced one of these:

• Fully or partially suspended operations because of a government order due to COVID-19

• A significant decline in gross receipts in a calendar quarter when compared to 2019

As of May 19, here are the latest FAQs for the Paycheck Protection Program.

The latest Paycheck Protection Program Report, through May 16, 2020, can be found here.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) is providing coronavirus recovery materials in various languages here.

The SBA also released a new Interim Final Rule Monday creating a new safe harbor for applicants with foreign affiliates whose eligibility certifications were technically incorrect.