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 July 14, 2022
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COVID-19 Update
Newest numbers as of 11:59 pm on July 5, 2022
- Confirmed Cases: 1,677,766
- COVID-19 Deaths: 13,193
For the most recent number of cases by county, demographics, and more, visit the Department of Health's COVID-19 Data Dashboard.
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Dept. of Labor & Industries
Basic Requirements for all Workplaces
At a minimum, all employers must do the following:
- Keep workers known or suspected to have COVID-19 from working around others by following appropriate isolation guidance as outlined by the Washington State Department of Health (DOH).
- Provide hand washing facilities and supplies, and regularly clean and sanitize surfaces.
- Educate workers about COVID-19 prevention in the language they understand best.
- Provide written notice of potential COVID-19 exposure within one business day to all workers, and the employers of subcontracted workers, who were at the same work site as a person who tested positive (without disclosing the person’s identity).
- Report COVID-19 outbreaks to L&I within one business day when they involve 10 or more workers at a workplace or job site with more than 50 workers.
- Address COVID-19 notification, reporting, and prevention measures in the employer’s workplace-specific, written Accident Prevention Program or equivalent safety program.
- Allow workers to voluntarily wear masks (respirators, medical procedure masks, or cloth face coverings) and personal protective equipment (PPE) as long as it doesn’t create a safety or security issue.
Where masks are still required:
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Employment Security Dept.
WA Cares Fund: Have you refunded any collected premiums?
Remember, if you withheld WA Cares premiums, you need to reimburse employees as soon as possible. The law mandates that all premiums must have been refunded to employees within 120 days of January 19, 2022.
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Department of Commerce
New Grant Programs Opening Soon!
The Washington Dept. of Commerce, in collaboration with ArtsWA, will distribute $75 million in pandemic relief to small businesses and nonprofits this summer.
Working Washington Grants - Round 5: Portions of the funds are set aside for specific sectors:
- 60% for the arts, heritage, and science, including live entertainment venues
- 40% for most other sectors, including hospitality, fitness, and personal services
Convention Center Grants: Funding supports businesses who lost revenue from the cancellation of—or reduction of participants in—conventions hosted in Washington state.
General Timeline:
- August 17 – 31: Application portal will remain open for 15 days
- Early – Mid September: Review of applications
- Late September: Commerce will notify grantees and disburse funding
Important notice: UEI (Unique Entity Identifier) Number is required to receive funds from this grant. If you don’t have a UEI yet, you may want to apply now.
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Office of Minority & Women's Business Enterprises
Absher Small Business Virtual Summit Workshop:
Access to Capital
Looking to learn more about the Linked Deposit Loan Program and other lending options for your business?
Join us on July 28 from 3 pm - 430 pm for a virtual presentation on Access to Capital. Presenters include OMWBE’s Julie Campos and Seattle Credit Union’s Khalfani Jones.
To register for this event, email Stephanie.Caldwell@AbsherCo.com
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Dept. of Enterprise Services
Are you interested in doing business with the state?
Join a free, virtual lunch and learn on Thursday, July 20 from noon - 1:30 pm. The Department of Enterprise Services and Tabor 100 will share information and answer your questions about doing business with the state. The event will be Hybrid - available via Zoom and In-Person.
Topics:
- Is Washington state buying what your business sells?
- Learn how to register at the Washington Electronic Business Solutions (WEBS).
- Hear about upcoming changes to improve contracting equity in Washington state.
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Liquor & Cannabis Board
Updated verbiage for cannabis laws & licensing
Approved a rule-making order (CR 103) regarding implementation of Second Substitute House Bill 1210 – Replacing “Marijuana” with “Cannabis.” This permanent rulemaking replaces the term “marijuana” with “cannabis” throughout the rules of the Liquor and Cannabis Board in Title 314 WAC.
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Secretary of State
Consumer Alert - Misleading Letters
Attention New Businesses: New versions of old letters and misleading solicitations are circulating to recently registered businesses.
Don’t be fooled by erroneous information, and be aware of whom you are doing business with.
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Office for Regulatory Innovation & Assistance
SBRR Workshop: Start a Business
SBRR workshops are provided by members of the Washington State Small Business Liaison Team (SBLT).
Start Your Business is a free, one-hour webinar for aspiring entrepreneurs or newly-started businesses to gain valuable information about business registration and licensing, other regulatory requirements, and resources for further assistance.
The next webinar is Wednesday, August 17th, 2022 at noon. Register Here
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Tips & Reminders
Washington Small Business Development Centers
Washington SBDC training provides practical, real-life solutions tailored for small business owners and facilitated by knowledgeable business professionals.
There is no cost, but registration is required!
Coming Soon! 26th Annual Washington State Biz Fair
Each fall, the small business ecosystem in WA comes together to put on BizFair, the longest running free small business fair sponsored by all government and nonprofit organizations.
BizFair 2022 will be a hybrid event with both in-person and virtual attendees having the same event experience. NO COST TO ATTEND – Registration coming soon, watch for updates on their website.
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Newsletter Team
This newsletter is a collaborative effort by the following state agencies:
Our mission:
- Preserve the connection to businesses that have been established as a resource for future emergencies.
- Make it easier for businesses to access the state services they need.
We intend to provide a newsletter that caters to businesses by providing multi-agency content related to doing business in WA. For the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be a special focus on the impacts the pandemic has on businesses. This Newsletter is not intended to replace agency newsletters, instead, it will aggregate cross-agency business-related information.
This Newsletter is published by the Governor's Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance (ORIA). Content contributors are limited to state agencies we do not accept content from other sources.
Feedback
Please let us know how we did with this issue of the Newsletter.
We appreciate your feedback!
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