COVID-19 Update July 17, 2020

The US Chamber of Commerce has sent an 18 page letter to Congress for addressing the needs of small businesses for any next round of stimulus packaging. Additionally, Senate Republicans have released a summary of the liability language in advance of their soon-to-be-finalized COVID-19 bill to facilitate and protect the reopening of businesses, nonprofits, and educational institutions.

The AICPA has shared 5 reasons borrowers shouldn’t rush their PPP forgiveness applications, to promote patience as there is uncertainty in the program details, such as the tax implications of loan forgiveness. Moreover, the Department of Labor (DOL) has updated certain optional Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) forms that employers and workers can use to coordinate leave requests and other input for making improvements.

To help employers think strategically through the pros and cons of testing employees for COVID-19, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued guidance that describes five scenarios in which testing might be effective or appropriate.

The National Safety Council (NSC) has published guidelines to follow for workplace contact tracing and exposure warnings, as well as an outline for the recommended testing and screening procedures that organizations can implement, as well as the potential hurdles and legal challenges that organizations can face in taking these precautionary measures.

Next week, we will be discussing recent legislation impacting small business followed by a Q&A session, so please be sure to register here for Delta’s next biweekly webinar and mark your calendar for Thursday, July 23^rd at 3:00 PM CDT.