Notes from a private Call with  Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce and Governor Northam 3/26/2020

Please take these personal typed notes as they were directly typed as “notes” during an informative meeting with the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce for local area business leaders and members of the Chamber of Commerce. As a leader on the Board of Directors, I feel this is helpful information to understand coming straight from the leadership of the State and where we are headed in this current climate of COVID-19 and the State of Virginia’s business and economic climate.

3/26/2020 11am From the Governor:

We are in “uncharted waters”

There are so many unknowns…. difficult to deal with and we have a health crisis and while we are addressing. We are approaching through containment. 

he made decisions to slow down the spread with decisions that have been very difficult 

the reason is to flatten the curve and not overburden our health care system. 

to give our hospitals capacity. We have some of the best space and let the health care workers have the capacity. 

working with the corp of engineers if we need to expand beds for hospitals- like FEMA so we can pick out sites that would be acceptable. 

A larger challenge is staffing. ICU patients- this is highly trained staff- we have to protect these trained staff. Staff are getting sick at these other States and we have to make sure that these people are protected. We have 8,000 people. 

We have graduating medical students from 6 medical schools, and these can be potential additional staff. Equipment is the next issue- there is NO ORGANIZED APPROACH NATIONALLY FOR THESE VENTILATORS.

EACH STATE IS COMPETING. 

Business community: Vendors and manufacturers in Virginia are working to be a part of the solution. The planning and prevention is the most important thing right now. 

Our State budget is going to look totally different. Essential services need to remain open so we can keep business operational. 

Legislation has kept 1250 bills have reached the GOvernor’s bills to review- that work is going well, and a number of these bills affect the economy- collective bargaining and minimum wage… etc. He wants to make sure that VA is business friendly. 

A lot of businesses that are already established, he wants to try to protect them. Especially while people are trying to  move businesses here, he wants to ensure that people still want to move business here.

“this too shall pass” 

Q&A
Todd Ralley– NoVa Chamber Board Chair- how can we best work to communicate information about business and stay in touch? 

Infusion of resources from Fed…. 1BB in FED money coming. LIKELY. 

Immediate need around healthcare: 

medic reserves/ nursing and medical students- quick training, temperature, pressure and pulse… recruits anyone who has been licensed. Can we bring anyone back into the workforce?

Transportation and Construction- these jobs are NOT going away!

how do we take restaurant workers and inject them into the CONSTRUCTION industry?

Secretary Ball begins speaking:

Interagency issues- assessing impacts on job loss, started at macro level and there are severely and moderately and then less impacted companies

travel/restaurant/ hospitality- shutting

manufacturing and construction- STRONG

auto/car manufacturing- shut

volvo truck- shut 

auto supplies- shutting down

amazon- ROBUST- 

online sales- robust

***Executive order 53- process in place – length and breadth- there is an email address to answer questions about how this applies   commerce.trade@governor.virginia.gov

• if a business is trying to stay open- how to they determine if the plan is compliant: 
• restaurants only take out or delivery
• retail only specialized or can practice social distancing.

ramped up on SBA lending in short term

Stimulus program- about to be passed. 350MM in loans to small businesses. These will be keeping or rehiring, there should be opportunity for these loans to be converted to GRANTS.

150MM to address loss as a result of CORONA virus.

Can’t answer about how long this pandemic will last… don’t know how to deal with this… so many different unknowns. This is not going to be weeks- this is going to be months. 

“lockdowns- shutdowns- we are encouraging people to stay at home, and we understand people will be getting back to basics- assume everyone has the virus. FREQUENT hand washing. Take all of the necessary precautions. Stick with basics- stay at home, stay at home if you are sick, social distancing, wash your hands.”

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE: 1099 independent contractors- currently only people who have payroll data currently can receive unemployment. HOWEVER They are telling EVERYONE to apply for unemployment- because they are telling people to apply because they may have option to get into the system NOW> 

Idle time: career works offices are still open so people can go in and “re-skill”  – request from Department of labor 10mm for public and private trainers to get people into the medical field QUICKLY.  Lots of support professionals- trying to get this “CNA light” 

Our economy was on fire until about a month ago! We will get through this VA will get through this and we’ll move forward.

Students- food processing- transportation- construction- web development (demand is UP). 

get creative and we will get through this.

Construction Season: 

Is construction essential to the economy- vertical / horizontal and highway- these are things that will continue. 

Continue to use your common sense. Don’t congregate. frequent hand cleaning. things will carry on. 

Any indication that the general assembly will come back together with VA focused stimulus package? – scheduled to come back to reconvene. they have to follow their guidelines…. but they need to social distance…. they will social distance.

 

Again, these were my notes as I was taking them in a nearly two hour call. I would love to chat with you if you have questions about what I learned during the call.