Today’s Coronavirus News for New Jersey Business

Reopening the Economy – New Jersey’s timeline to reopen its economy will be handled statewide, not regionally, and will be done incrementally, Gov. Phil Murphy said. “Assuming the curves continue to go in the right direction,” the state would “gently begin to reopen,” he said. The governor has said specific dates for reopening could come soon. (nj.com)

Small Businesses Can Still Get PPP Loans – Forgivable loans under Round 2 of the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) are still available. So far, about $17 billion in PPP loans have been approved for nearly 111,000 New Jersey small businesses, helping them maintain their payrolls. For more information on the program and how to apply, click here.

More N.J. Businesses Are Getting PPP Loans – The number of small businesses in New Jersey receiving loans under Round 2 of the Paycheck Protection Program has more than doubled over Round 1. “The smaller companies are the ones now benefitting,” said Tom Bracken, president and CEO of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce. “That’s good news. The companies most in need look like the ones (being) accommodated in Round 2.” (nj.com)

Doubling COVID-19 Testing – New Jersey is on pace to test at least 20,000 residents for the coronavirus per day by the end of the month and 25,000 by the end of June — more than double its current capacity and a key step towards reopening the state, Gov. Murphy said. (nj.com)

Doubling Contact Tracers – New Jersey plans to more than double its number of people tracing COVID-19 cases as part of its reopening strategy, Gov. Murphy said. The state will “likely need at least 1,000 dedicated contact tracers” on top of the current 800 to 900 people already doing that work. (nj.com)

How It All Works – How will New Jersey ramp up COVID-19 testing, interview those who test positive and track down people that have spent time with them? Health departments and contact tracers, through extensive interviews with those that test positive, will focus on finding people whom the infected person interacted with over the 48 hours before they began showing symptoms, and instruct them to isolate. (NJBIZ)

The Bad News – Despite making strides in combating COVID-19, New Jersey is still dealing with larger ratios of deaths, cases, and hospitalizations compared to its neighboring states and the nation’s two most populated states, according to data presented by the Murphy administration. (nj.com)

At Nursing Homes, Everybody Will Get Tested – Long-term care facilities in the state are required to test all staff and residents for COVID-19 by May 26, according to a new state directive. Follow-up testing is also required, and facilities must develop plans for isolating residents who test positive and excluding staff that test positive in accordance with CDC and state health department recommendations.

The Fine Print – More info on the Murphy administration’s plan to expand testing and contact tracing.

Mass Transit Seeks Massive Federal Assistance – Transit officials, including those from New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia agencies, joined others to ask for $33 billion in the next federal aid act to help them recover and resume full service when the coronavirus pandemic ends. (nj.com)

Safety in the Sky – United Airlines has announced additional safety steps for seating, boarding and deplaning. (ROI-NJ)

Safety in the Casinos – Atlantic City casinos and hotels will look very different once they reopen. At the Borgata, there will be no eating on the casino floor, contactless check-ins for hotel rooms, and everybody will wear a mask unless they’re drinking while gambling. (nj.com)

Giving Back – New Jersey has ordered auto and business insurers to reduce premiums and give refunds due to coronavirus restrictions. The order essentially mandates what the industry began doing voluntarily last month. (nj.com)

A List of Resources, Regulations and Testing Sites – What is open and closed, and the latest on the measures being taken in New Jersey to mitigate the effects of the pandemic. (NJ Spotlight)

Get Counted – New Jersey residents can respond to the 2020 Census to help ensure the state gets its fair share of federal funding, including money for hospitals and first responders. Employers, please consider passing on this reminder to your employees.

N.J. Coronavirus Cases – New Jersey Residents
(Source: N.J. Health Department)

Total Deaths Reported: 9,508, up from 9,310 yesterday.

Total Positive COVID-19 Tests Reported: 140,743, up from 139,945 yesterday.

For data on hospitalizations and discharges, click here.

Resources

The N.J. Chamber of Commerce and NJBIA webinar with Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, where he shares his views on the COVID-19 crisis. (May 6)

The N.J. Chamber of Commerce webinar with Neil Bradley, chief policy officer of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, provides valuable details on the federal loan programs designed to help businesses navigate the pandemic.(April 23)

The N.J. Chamber of Commerce webinar with state Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo provides vital information on the state unemployment insurance program and tips for applying. (April 16)

The N.J. Chamber of Commerce webinar with Al Titone, SBA district director of New Jersey provides vital information on SBA coronavirus relief loan programs. (April 14).

For information on applying for a Paycheck Protection Program loan, click here.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Survival Guide has a complete listing of all of the coronavirus resources for small businesses.

The N.J. Economic Development Authority is offering assistance programs for New Jersey businesses. Information and applications can be found here.

The IRS posted information on ‘stimulus checks’ here.

The state’s jobs and hiring portal matches employers and candidates.
For employers to participate, click here.

New Jersey’s website for information on all of the state’s business resources during the pandemic.

New Jersey’s website for up-to-date information about COVID-19.

Have Questions about the Status of an Unemployment Claim? – You can send a message to the state Labor Department through its website – www.myunemployment.nj.gov. Then follow these instructions:

• On the top of the page, scroll to the right for “Need Help” and unveil the drop-down menu
• Choose Send an Email
• Choose Email: Submit a message through the new online form.
• Follow the prompts

To report a scammer or suspected price gouging, alert the N.J. Division of Consumer Affairs at (973) 504-6240 or at http://njconsumeraffairs.gov.

The state set up a 24-hour hotline where health care professionals are answering questions about coronavirus. The toll-free number is 1-800-222-1222. From outside the state, call 1-800-962-1253.