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Governor Newsom announced new help for small businesses & workers displaced by COVID-19. $50 million in loan guarantees is available for small businesses that may not be eligible for federal relief and the State is also allowing small businesses to defer payment of sales and use taxes of up to $50,000, for up to 12 months.
SCORE Santa Barbara is offering a series of one-hour webinars to dive into the specifics of COVID-19 crisis support options.
Register NOW: Cares Act – Payroll Protection Program
for Small Business Webinar
April 6 | 5:00-6:00 pm
Presenters will focus on the PPP program details, what you need to know if you’re considering applying, and how to apply.
Register NOW: Corona Crisis Relief for Small Business
April 9 | 5:00-6:00 pm
Speakers will discuss the different Corona crisis relief packages, including benefits and tradeoffs of each, and how to decide which ones to apply for. We will also review what you need to do to get ready to apply.
Register NOW: Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program
April 13 | 5:00-6:00 pm
This webinar focuses on who the EIDL program is for, how it differs from other support options, and how to apply.
Register NOW: Pivot Your Business to E-Commerce
April 15 | 5:00-6:00 pm
The rapid change in the business climate coming from the lockdown of our communities has many business scrambling for new revenue channels. John Richardson will discuss strategies and tactics for getting a successful e-commerce business off the ground and turning a profit selling physical products.
Register NOW: How to Email Market in Times of Business Downturn
April 23 | 4:00-5:00 pm
To generate positive outcomes, your business has to reach the right customers with targeted campaigns. Research says that for every $1 spent on e-mail marketing there is an average $44 return on investment. Join Patty Ross for this discussion of basic and advanced techniques to propel your email marketing efforts.
This is an especially tough time for our local businesses. While many restaurants have closed their doors, others are offering a full or limited menu for takeout and/or delivery. Check out this guide compiled by Visit Santa Barbara to learn what’s available. Please patronize a local business, at least 1,838 local people have been laid off and that will get worse if we don’t support our local businesses. Restaurant and grocery delivery services are available here. The U.S. Chamber has answers to the 10 Commonly Asked Coronavirus Small Business Loan Questions and a summary of the recent CARES Act Webinar can be found here. A recording of the webinar can be found here.
To date, the total number of confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Santa Barbara County is 152. The total number of tests completed is 1271, with 903 negative results, 215 pending, and 1 inconclusive.
Of the 152 cases, 86 are recovering at home, 26 are recovering in a hospital, 17 of which are in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 35 have fully recovered, and 4 are pending an update. To view a map of COVID-19 cases in California by County, click here.
For those of you seeking social and emotional support during this difficult and stressful time, the Santa Barbara County Community Wellness Team has a host of resources available for people struggling through this time and can be reached at (805) 364-2750.
For those with furry friends, C.A.R.E.4Paws is here to support low-income, senior, disabled and homeless community members in Santa Barbara County to prevent suffering and keep pets with their owners for life. They offer help with pet food and basic supplies, critical mobile veterinary care and urgent spays/neuters, and assistance for domestic violence victims and their pets. For more information, contact them at info@care4paws.org or 805-968-CARE (2273).
For residents and business struggling to keep up with expenses, Southern California Edison is also helping customers with their bills by suspending service disconnections for nonpayment and waiving late fees by request for business and residential customers impacted by the COVID-19 emergency.
We know that this is an incredibly difficult time if you’ve lost your job, income or work hours due to the coronavirus. The way that you can access government’s economic relief available for workers is by completing an application for Unemployment Insurance. I recommend getting to know the new Economic Recovery page on the County’s COVID-19 Public Information Portal.
There are multiple ways to file for Unemployment Insurance:
Online: You can file a claim online here
By-phone: Representatives are available at the following toll-free numbers, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to noon Pacific Time except on state holidays.
- English 1-800-300-5616
- Spanish 1-800-326-8937
- Cantonese 1-800-547-3506
- Mandarin 1-866-303-0706
- Vietnamese 1-800-547-2058
- TTY 1-800-815-9387
By Mail or by Fax: File your UI claim by accessing the paper Unemployment Insurance Application. For faster and secure processing, fax the completed application to the number listed on the form. If you mail your application, use the address on the form and allow additional time for processing.
How to Apply for UI Benefits (File a Claim) (YouTube)
For many, the best way to get away from the frustrations and stress of this crisis is to help others. If you are outside the at-risk population, you can volunteer for a partnership between Bucket Brigade and the County to staff Food Bank (help distribute food) and PATH (People Assisting the Homeless), which needs volunteers to help prepare food at the shelter. Sign up to volunteer here.
Santa Barbara County Food Bank is hosting additional food distributions in order to meet the growing need in the community caused by COVID-19. All sites are implementing social distancing practices to ensure the food you receive is safe! Many locations offer a drive-thru option to minimize contact, and others are scheduling food pick-up appointments for individuals to prevent crowds. Check the website for the most current information about distribution sites.
To donate to the United Way of Santa Barbara County’s COVID-19 Response Effort, please click here. To request information about individual financial assistance, please click here.
We strongly urge people 65 and older to self-isolate completely. Either get a friend/family member to shop for you or use a grocery delivery service.
What do I do if I’m experiencing symptoms?
A: if you are experiencing any upper respiratory symptoms (cough, sore throat, sneezing, shortness of breath, or fever) the best thing for you to do is behave as if you have the virus and self-isolate until 72 hours after freedom of symptoms.
If you want to see or talk to a doctor about your symptoms, please CALL AHEAD. Do you not go into any health care facility while experiencing these symptoms.
If you do not have insurance, our County Health Clinics and Neighborhood Clinics are available to you. Again, CALL AHEAD.
Please take of yourselves and each other!
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