PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – March 14, 2020
BUSINESSES IMPACTED BY VIRUS
In the midst of the toilet paper frenzy, and the search for hand sanitizer, the coronavirus fear has already hit some of us—the businessman. With school closings, and warnings to stay away from public gatherings, local businesses aren’t seeing the volume of customers they rely on to pay their bills.
The County Economic Development Division encourages businesses to take precautionary measures to ensure best practices are followed so employees aren’t affected and can serve the public, while also taking measures to protect their customers. According to Business Oregon, actively encouraging sick employees to stay home, emphasizing respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene, and performing routine environmental cleaning, are some of the key preventive steps a business can implement to help prevent the spread of the virus.
Businesses should always be prepared for a disaster, and that includes not only storms and cyber- attacks, but disease outbreaks as well. The County Emergency Manager, Jeremy Dumire, works with businesses in developing preventive plans, and, the state has helpful guidelines on the Business Oregon website.
Summer Matteson, the County Economic Development Coordinator, reports, “businesses should make sure they are properly insured, and consider interruption insurance. Oregon also has several financial resources, such as their loan funds, that some people may need.” Matteson says businesses should contact her office and she can help them navigate the Business Oregon website to find the best resource that fits the business owner’s needs. “We’ve been through this with the sinkhole in 2016, and we’re ready to help again, should people need the assistance.”
Business Oregon has begun a Business Recovery Network to track the impacts of the virus on businesses. The information the state receives helps the county and the state know the impact of the disaster, and also helps the state be able to make low interest economic disaster loans available. If you are a business, and you believe you have been negatively impacted, contact Business Oregon, or Summer Matteson. The Business Oregon contact is Sean Stevens, Sean.Stevens@oregon.gov.
###
