It has been difficult to see the impact Coronavirus (COVID-19) is having on our South Carolina communities and their businesses. While we understand the importance of social distancing, closing schools, and canceling events to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we are deeply concerned for the industries and small businesses that keep our communities alive.  The Marion County Economic Development team values the well-being of all our citizens and is here to support your organization during this challenging time. 

We remain hopeful that the spread of the COVID-19 virus has not significantly impacted your family or your organization but understand, for some, the impact has been substantial. Our team is committed to providing as many resources as possible and will continue identifying resources in the coming days and weeks. 

CDC Activities and Initiatives Supporting the COVID-19 Response and the President’s Plan for  Opening America Up Again

To view resources for businesses, click here.

To view resources for job seekers and employees, click here. 

For a summary of the CARES Act, click here to download.

COVID-19 Federal Rural Resource Guide, click here to download. 

Information about COVID-19

• CDC – Coronavirus.gov

• CDC - What to do if you are sick with COVID-19

• Covidtracking.com

• CDC - Situation Summary

• South Carolina Department Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC)

• Highlights of the CARES Act

General Resources Concerning the Impact of COVID-19

News

• Senate Passes Families First Coronavirus Response Act: What Employers Need to Know

• Google launches a dedicated COVID-19 Resources page

• Food Safety and Coronavirus: A Comprehensive Guide

• Managing The COVID-19 Crisis: Seven Tips For Business Leaders 

Local

• South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD) – Mobile Apps Emergency mobile apps available to the public.

• The State newspaper - Live Coverage – real-time coronavirus information free to the public.

• The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina – Coronavirus & Your Electric Bill – The statewide service and trade association for electric cooperatives in South Carolina provides general information on the coronavirus and your electric bill along with a link to take you to your specific serving cooperative.

National

• Restore Your Economy – Funded by the US Economic Development Association (EDA) and managed by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), provides information and best practices for public and private stakeholders on aiding local.

• Government Relief For Small Business

• Department of Homeland Security – Business & Community Disaster Recovery – One stop for disaster recovery resources with multiple federal agencies and associated services.

• Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives
  • Council of State Chambers Preparing and Responding to Coronavirus
  • U.S. Chamber of Commerce List of dedicated chambers sites
  • Combating the Coronavirus



Assistance/Volunteer Programs

• The Salvation Army of the Carolinas – Cleaning products and food pantry donations 

• South Carolina Food Pantries

• One SC Fund – Donations for statewide COVID-19 response efforts

• American Red Cross – Emergency call for blood donors  

CARES ACT Resources

President Trump signed HR 748 (CARES Act) into law, the most substantial economic stimulus package in American history. Senators Graham and Scott hosted a call with business organizations this afternoon to specifically discuss the parts of the bill about small businesses (under 500 employees). They stated that it would take several weeks to get the money flowing to small businesses. We will keep you posted on the timing and availability of small business loans.

Some key highlights of the bill:

• $350 billion for forgivable small business loans.
• Expansion of unemployment benefit coverage and amount
• $500 billion for corporate aid
• $1,200 checks for certain single filers and $2,400 for certain joint filers (under $75,000 income)
• $340 billion for healthcare-related programs
• $150 billion for state and local governments to replenish coffers

The Chamber will host a series of webinars and teleconferences to explain the many different provisions of this 854-page bill, including the small business loan process, available tax credits for businesses, and other economic benefits.

SC Chamber Webinar Series

The SC Chamber and our partners are co-hosting a series of webinars over the coming weeks on a variety of topics to help our members navigate the impacts of COVID-19. 

• The Impact of the CARES Act on Unemployment and Incentives for Employers to Keep Employees Working
  • Date: Wednesday, April 1st, 12:00 PM  - 1:00 PM ET
  • Presenter: Ashley Cuttino, Ogletree Deakins
  • Topic: Today, President Trump signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. This webinar will discuss the expansion of unemployment benefits in five key ways and will discuss incentives for employers to keep workers employed through additional SBA loans and tax credits.
• Managing A Remote Workforce
  • Exempt vs. Non-Exempt employees; setting goals, guidelines and expectations; providing adequate equipment and more.
  • Featuring Perry McClanahan, Associate, Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd PA, and our friends at Microsoft
• Navigating the SBA Loan Application Process
  • Who is eligible? How to apply? What information is required?
  • Co-hosted by the US Small Business Administration and the SC Bankers Association.

Register via our COVID-19 Virtual Events Section on our website.

14-Day Quarantine of Travelers from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, New Orleans

Today, Governor McMaster issued an executive order mandating that travelers coming from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and New Orleans must self-quarantine for 14 days. A violation of the order is a criminal misdemeanor. Read the executive order here.

Stay-at-Home Orders

Today, the SC Attorney General issued an advisory opinion stating that local governments cannot legally issue emergency orders, which is a power delegated to the Governor. This advisory includes the stay-at-home ordinances issued by the cities of Columbia and Charleston. This opinion is not binding, but it states that local governments that issue emergency orders are subject to liability.  

North Carolina issued a statewide stay-at-home order this afternoon. Governor Cooper issued the order in reaction to multiple NC cities and counties, creating confusion and complexity for individuals and businesses with inconsistency in their orders. 

Governor McMaster is not considering a stay at home at this time. 

Member in Need

Many of our members have done fantastic work responding to the needs in our community caused by COVID-19. We are encouraging businesses in need, and businesses that are filling needs, to share their stories with us. We will post these in our regular email updates to help get the word out and help one another. 

Yesterday, we posted a Member in Need request from Enterprise Rent a Car. Enterprise is pleased to report that they have received many offers of help from our members and are very grateful. Thanks to our business community for stepping up, and please continue to send us your requests.

These and other resources for businesses are available on our COVID-19 website. (Please note: We recently added new site features. You may need to hit Ctrl+F5 to access or clear your browser cache)

As always, we will keep you up-to-date on any further information as it becomes available. Please feel free to reach out to us at COVID19Response@scchamber.net with questions.