Daily Update – 100
NYC Phase Three Today (July 6th)
The New York City region is expected to begin phase three next week; however, the Governor announced this week that indoor dining in New York City will be delayed until factors change and it is deemed safe. In all other regions of the state, limited indoor dining is still allowed.
The only NYC specific phase three guidelines that have been released to date are for personal care.
Mid-Hudson Phase Four Tomorrow (July 7th)
The Mid-Hudson region will open to phase four tomorrow. Unlike previous phases, the Governor has said that phase four is fluid in what industries are included and what timelines those industries will follow. At this time, phase four industries include higher education, low risk indoor and outdoor arts and entertainment, media production, and professional sports without fans.
Phase four industry guidelines for these industries can be found here.
Remain Diligent! – Ulster County Spike in Coronavirus Cases linked to Four Clusters Including A Manufacturer
Three “significant” potential coronavirus clusters, and a fourth of less concern, were discovered in Ulster County on Friday, July 3, when test results indicated 25 new cases of COVID-19 and an infection rate of 3.09 percent, County Executive Pat Ryan said.
Ryan said the resurgence appears to have originated at graduation parties and among migrant workers at an apple orchard in southeastern Ulster, at a manufacturing facility in the “Kingston area” and among inmates at two state prison facilities in southern Ulster. Before identifying the town, businesses and farms involved, Ryan said “we want to make sure we have all of the details.
Read more at the Daily Freeman
SUNY New Paltz Announced It’s Reopening Plan – Other Colleges Expected to Follow This Week
In related news SUNY New Paltz announced it’s reopening plan. It will include limited in person classes and no mid-semester break. The college will prioritize face-to-face instruction with reduced density for select laboratory studio, clinical and equipment-essential course, as well as some general education and gateway courses to majors with appropriate social distancing.
A majority of the fall semester courses will be taught remotely. Finals will be online after Thanksgiving and dorm and classroom capacity will by reduced.
A summary of the New Paltz Forward Plan can be found here.
BSK Videos on PPP and Travel Restrictions Available for Viewing
Council Associate Member and friend Bond Scheneck and King has posted two short videos to provide additional information and answer frequently asked questions:
- Business attorney Kate Chmielowiec discusses the known ramifications of applying for Paycheck Protection Program loan forgiveness before the full, 24-week covered period ends: Click here to view.
- Labor attorneys Jessica Moller and Theresa Rusnak tackle some questions about New York’s new travel advisory: Click here to view.
The full presentation covered these topics:
- PPP Update
- Travel Advisory Executive Order
- Update From Albany
Click here to view the webinar in its entirety or to register for upcoming Tuesday presentations.
CBO Sees Double-Digit Jobless Rate Through 2020, GDP to Shrink 5.9%
The CBO estimates the jobless rate will end the year at 10.5%, lower than its earlier forecast of 11.5%. Nevertheless, it is likely to remain above the pre-coronavirus pandemic level of about 3.5% through the end of the decade. The Labor Department on Thursday reported the rate fell to 11.1% in June from 13.3% in May.
Gross domestic product, the broadest measure of economic output, is expected to grow rapidly in the second half of 2020 as social-distancing measures are lifted and trillions of dollars in stimulus spending takes effect. But that won’t be enough to overcome the impact of widespread business closures earlier in the year. Output in the fourth quarter of 2020 will be 5.9% lower than a year earlier, the agency said, worse than the 5.6% drop it projected in May. Though the economy is likely to grow 4.8% next year, it won’t return to its pre-pandemic size until mid-2022, it said.
Sanitizing and Disinfecting Your Business During the Pandemic
Opening and operating a business during this pandemic presents problems few have been trained to address. The goal of our businesses is to earn a profit while keeping our employees and customers safe. Local, state and federal public health authorities have issued guidance that covers almost every conceivable situation. All include sanitizing and disinfecting the workplace and providing for frequent hand washing (sometimes called “hand hygiene”).
Few of the guidance documents tell you how to select or use disinfecting chemicals and methods. Few discuss the regulatory framework you must abide by. This article attempts to fill-in that gap.
Visit our Resources Guide for Member Firms that Provide Cleaning to CDC Guidelines
China’s Economy Regains Strength After Strict Coronavirus Measures
A private gauge of China’s service-sector activity, released Friday, surged in June to its highest level in more than a decade, as the easing of virus-control measures in most parts of the country drove consumer demand. The Caixin China services purchasing managers index jumped to 58.4 in June from 55.0 in May, Caixin Media Co. and research firm IHS Markit said Friday.
June’s reading came in far above the 50 mark that separates expansion from contraction, signaling rapid month-over-month recovery. While China’s economy is quickly picking up steam, the actual level of activity remains far below pre-virus levels.
The Economist: Covid-19 is Here to Stay. People Will Have to Adapt
The world is not experiencing a second wave: it never got over the first.
The worst is to come. Based on research in 84 countries, a team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology reckons that, for each recorded case, 12 go unrecorded and that for every two covid-19 deaths counted, a third is misattributed to other causes. Without a medical breakthrough, it says, the total number of cases will climb to 200m-600m by spring 2021. At that point, between 1.4m and 3.7m people will have died. Even then, well over 90% of the world’s population will still be vulnerable to infection—more if immunity turns out to be transient.
