As the Alabama Department of Health announces additional confirmed cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the state, The Partnership, between the Business Council of Alabama (BCA) and the Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama (CCAA), continues to closely monitor the spread of the virus and its impact on job creators, workers, and families. The Partnership is working closely with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to monitor the recent outbreak and its potential impact on the economy and the business community. While the threat of a major economic recession remains low, there will likely be a slowdown in economic growth. The U.S. Chamber, in partnership with the White House, U.S. government agencies, and foreign government officials, has provided the most up-to-date information to ensure both employers and employees are prepared to address this issue.
Combating the Coronavirus Toolkit provided by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce includes:
- Guidance for employers to plan and respond to the Coronavirus
- Workplace tips and resources for employers to combat the virus
- Corporate aid tracker for details on how businesses are helping nationwide
- Survey on business impact results from the American Chamber of Commerce in China
- Resilience in a Box toolkit created in partnership with UPS
- Additional resources from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Information from the U.S. Small Business Administration:
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has provided information on available SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) assistance. This program is designed to make economic injury assistance available to small businesses affected by the Coronavirus. SBA also shared the following contact information if you have specific questions:
- For States (Alabama) and Territories in Federal Regions I-V, contact: Kem Fleming, Director of Field Operations Center East, at kem.fleming@sba.gov;
- For other requests for SBA Office of Disaster Assistance HQ, contact Alejandro Contreras at alejandro.contreras@sba.gov
In addition to the resources included above, the U.S. Chamber and CDC suggest:
- Actively encouraging employees to stay home when sick.
- Emphasizing the importance of hand washing and respiratory etiquette by all employees.
- Routinely cleaning all frequently touched surfaces and providing cleaning wipes to employees to do the same.
- Making fact-based decisions regarding travel and complying with the latest guidance, specifically surrounding international travel.
- Maintaining business as usual with limited disruptions while monitoring the evolving situation.
- Mitigating household fear by keeping all employees informed on the facts of the situation and educating them on how they can prepare for the potential impacts of the virus.
Utilizing these resources in conjunction with proper caution and preparation rather than alarm will steer our state through this challenging time.