Dutchess Business Notification Network Update for Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Below are updates and resources for businesses, employers, and employees. Please feel free to forward this email to anyone you believe would benefit from this information.

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Update for Wednesday, April 22, 2020:

• In today's (Wednesday) press conference, Governor Andrew Cuomo discussed his meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House yesterday, specifically mentioning the need for the federal government to help states in funding for frontline workers. President Trump told Governor Cuomo he would push for funding to be included in the next bill.
• Governor Cuomo also discussed the need for additional testing in the state before he could open up the state fully. He also announced that FEMA would be waiving the 25% payment requirement the state would have had to pay for any FEMA related expenses.
• Governor Cuomo announced that Michael Bloomberg would be developing the state's testing and tracing program. The tracing program will be developed on a regional basis to ensure those commuting to work outside of their home county do not fall through the cracks.
• Governor Cuomo clarified that at this point he was not declaring the school year to be over. The decision to reopen schools is tied with the effort to reopen businesses because of the need for some kind of child care so workers can actually work.
• In an interview today (Wednesday), Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said the state is expecting a $10-15 billion revenue shortfall due to COVID-19. Because of this shortfall, DiNapoli expects this to effect the pension fund for state retirees.
• Comptroller DiNapoli also stated the state had begun to receive the aid allocated to the state in the "Phase 3" deal congress passed. He called for additional "unrestricted" funds to be allocated to the state in the "Phase 4" bill that is beginning to be discussed at the federal level.
• The state's Department of Health has begun antibody testing statewide, and has released a FAQ document on their efforts. It can be found HERE.
• The CDC has released guidelines on how to optimize the supply of PPE. Those guidelines can be found HERE.
• The Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion has released a webinar that was previously hosted to discuss how to balance recommended employer precautions regarding COVID-19 and the Americans with Disabilities Act. That webinar can be found HERE. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has also released guidance on this issue, and can be found HERE.
• Dutchess Tourism has put together a video to highlight the resiliency of our community, and to promote the new #WeWillFlyAgain campaign. You can view their video and find useful resources HERE.

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.

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