(Obtained from various sources, including LA BEOC, GNO, Inc, and Live Better Louisiana Newsletter)
FEMA Fact Sheet—-Reconstituting Operations During COVID-19 Pandemic (4-Pages Attachment)
The smallest companies seeking coronavirus relief loans were moved to the head of the line Wednesday (Apr 29) after the Small Business Administration said that for eight hours ending at midnight Eastern time it would accept loans only from small lenders. The step was taken to ensure that small community lenders, those with under $1 billion in assets, and their small business customers would have access to the $310 billion program, SBA head Jovita Carranza said in a tweet.
The nation’s top infectious diseases expert says he expects the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to quickly approve a new experimental drug that showed promising signs in treating patients with COVID-19. Dr. Anthony Fauci told NBC’s “Today” show Thursday that he anticipates the go-ahead for the emergency use of Remdesivir to happen “really quickly.”
LABI releases education, workforce recommendations for state post-COVID-19. LABI has released policy recommendations to help stabilize public education and address current workforce needs as Louisiana phases out of the initial response to COVID-19. https://www.businessreport.com/newsletters/labi-releases-education-workforce-recommendations-for-state-post-covid-19
FEMA Assessment of “Meat Shortages.” Recent media coverage of “imminent meat shortages” will likely lead to increased panic buying and hoarding exacerbating spot shortages and creating artificial demand. Cold storage red meat supplies were down 2%, frozen pork down 4%, and frozen poultry supplies were up 4% from March. This suggests that there is enough frozen supply to meet normal real demand vice panic driven artificial demand. (Source: FEMA NBEOC Lifeline Snapshot)
Resilient Louisiana Commission. The 15 Task Forces operating under the RLC have begun meeting this week. For more information on the commission, meeting times, and more visit: https://www.opportunitylouisiana.com/resilientlouisiana
Coronavirus Advisory: How to safely reopen your business, sponsored by Our Lady of the Lake. If you’re an employer planning to reopen for business, you’re no doubt wrestling with questions and challenges you’ve never encountered. Pressure continues to mount to reopen businesses to put back to work and revive the nation’s gasping economy. The pressure is on employers to prevent new outbreaks in the workplace. Until a safe and effective vaccine is developed, employers, employees and families will need to adopt practices to limit the spread of infection. Dr. Catherine O’Neal, chief medical officer and a specialist in infectious disease, says employers will need to adopt new policies and procedures, and maybe even new attitudes toward employee health. https://www.businessreport.com/sponsored/coronavirus-advisory-how-to-safely-reopen-your-business-sponsored-by-our-lady-of-the-lake?oly_enc_id=0684G8222256G3U
Find fresh food using Louisiana Farm to School Program tool. People who are searching for farm-fresh foods and ways to support the Louisiana economy during the coronavirus pandemic can turn to a new online tool to find sellers that are open for business. The materials are available at http://www.ldaf.state.la.us/covid-19/ under the “LA Farm Food Map and Directory” tab.
“Getting Back to Work, in the New Normal: Best Practices for Business Reopening” – This week, GNO, Inc. released a plan for restarting the Greater New Orleans economy, and reopening businesses with a responsible and safety-first approach. The plan provides robust industry-specific recommendations and a framework to safely restart the region’s economy, as well as opportunities for the future. This plan was developed in partnership with many stakeholders, ranging from regional companies, to industry associations, to national consultancies, to global country examples. You can read the full plan here.
NEW RESOURCE – GNO, Inc. introduces GNOmatch, whereby we provide custom connections between companies with lay-offs, and those hiring for transferable skills.
Beating the Quarantine Blues:
As the COVID 19 stay-at-home continues, you may be feeling a little stir crazy. Don’t worry, you are not alone! The key to overcoming thoughts of boredom and anxiety is to remain positive. Instead of focusing on what you cannot do, direct your attention to pastimes you can do now or the home-based activities you never got a chance to start. Here are a few suggestions to help you pass the time and keep your mental health in check.
- Play Like a Kid Again – Make time for some good old-fashioned playtime. Break out the board games, flex your imagination in some make-believe toy sessions or revisit backyard games like tag.
- Digital Museums, Programming and Event Streaming – Since museums are close, many are offering online programming. For example, the Louisiana Arts and Science Museum Pennington Planetarium is offering live sky shows every Thursday while the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas posts educational videos about their animals on their YouTube Channel. Also, some of the world’s most notable museums are open for free digital exploration, such as the Louvre in Paris, the British Museum in London and the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.
- Gardening – Fresh air is highly encouraged during this period of quarantine. And choosing to garden during your daily outdoor time can bud a bounty of therapeutic benefits, from reduced stress to weight management through increased physical activity.
- Learn or Hone a Skill – Is there something you always wanted to try but never had the time? Well, if this lockdown has given you more time, then why not start those foreign language classes, learn to paint and bake those recipes you’ve been meaning to try? There’s a multitude of virtual classes offered on the web.
- Spring Clean – Since you’re likely stuck in the house for a few more weeks, having a clean, decluttered and refreshed living space will do wonders for your outlook. And in a better mood, you’re likely to have more energy and enthusiasm to engage in activities that bring more joy.
Get More Social on Social Media – Allow yourself and your family to enjoy a healthy amount of social media – even consider engaging together as a family. TikTok is shaping up to be a fun source of entertainment during the quarantine with videos featuring dance trends, celebrities and influencers and comical skits.
Mental Health Matters!
Mental health is a very important part of our overall health and well-being now more than ever. Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.
The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may be stressful for people. Fear and anxiety about a disease can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children.Coping with stress will make you, the people you care about, and your community stronger. Click here for ways to boost your mental health.
Hope all have a safe and enjoyable weekend…….Chris
