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Gov. Jay Inslee announced “Healthy Washington — Roadmap to Recovery,” a COVID-19 phased recovery plan. Beginning on January 11, 2021, the state will follow a regional recovery approach with every region beginning in Phase 1. This new recovery system aims to safely ease some restrictions while also maintaining crucial hospital capacity, ensuring care for Washingtonians that need it and paving the way for economic recovery. Learn more about the plan by clicking here.
State Guidance for Roadmap to Recovery Plan for Businesses – includes guidance for restaurants, professional and personal services, fitness and training, recreations, sporting events, and more.
King County Guidance for Roadmap to Recovery Phase 1
Back to Work Toolkit – Very robust website with information, materials and tips for creating policies and procedures for returning to work.
Guidance for employers if an employee is diagnosed with COVID-19.
Guidance for childcare businesses.
Guidance from OSHA for preparing workplaces.
- The Washington State Employment Security Department (ESD) can provide support in the form of unemployment benefits. For employers that want to keep from losing highly-trained employees, these unemployment benefits can be received through, or while covered by, Shared Work, Partial Unemployment and Standby (which allow certain workers to collect unemployment while remaining with their employers and not actively seeking other jobs). Visit https://esd.wa.gov/newsroom/covid-19
- ESD’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Program can provide paid leave benefits for Washington workers who need to take time off from work due to a serious health condition or to care for a family member with a serious health condition. Certification by a healthcare provider is required for applications for Paid Family and Medical Leave due to a serious health condition. Visit https://paidleave.wa.gov/coronavirus/
- If COVID-19 disrupts a Washington business and causes a mass layoff or closure, ESD and its local workforce development board partners can respond with Rapid Response services and funding to help impacted workers get connected to unemployment benefits and re-employment services, including re-training, worker support services, and referrals to other social services. Visit https://www.esd.wa.gov/newsroom/layoffassistance
- The Working Washington Small Business Emergency Grant was announced April 7 by Governor Inslee. This program will be using a portion of the state’s Strategic Reserve Fund (SRF) to offer a limited number of grants (up to $10,000) to small businesses with up to 10 employees. Businesses can use this money to pay for rent, utility bills, supplies, inventory and other operating expenses. Learn more and apply at http://startup.choosewashingtonstate.com/links/crisis/covid-19-resources
- The Federal Small Business Administration (SBA) may be able to provide assistance through the Economic Injury Disaster Loans program to businesses that have suffered substantial economic injury in an eligible disaster area. Congress approved up to $7 billion in low-interest disaster loans specifically to assist small businesses impacted by COVID-19. These loans can help small businesses meet financial obligations and cover operating expenses. Visit https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/
- The Washington State Department of Revenue (DOR) created a page dedicated to business relief during the COVID-19 pandemic and may extend state filing and payment deadlines to affected businesses. Visit https://dor.wa.gov/taxrelief
- The IRS has established a special section focused on steps to help taxpayers, businesses and others affected by the coronavirus and have extended the federal tax payment deadline from April 15 to July 15, 2020. Visit https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus
- Facebook is putting together a small business grant program with $100M in cash grants and ad credits to help those small businesses affected by the pandemic. Visit https://www.facebook.com/business/boost/grants
All grants have been awarded at this time. Through an application process in Fall 2020, the City selected eligible Covington businesses to receive a grant (ranging from $2,500-$7,500) from CARES funding to assist businesses with lost revenue due to COVID-19. To date, the City has disbursed about $138,000 in rapid relief grants to Covington businesses.