Today's COVID-19 update includes bank and post office hours, small business assistance information, a blood drive, and a call for public health volunteer nurses and epidemiologists.
Below is an update from Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla on COVID-19:
Since yesterday, many residents have reached out to my office to offer assistance in securing personal protective equipment (PPE) to our hospital professionals at Hoboken University Medical Center. I’m enormously proud of the giving spirit of our community, and I thank everyone for their concern and willingness to help. As a reminder, if you have any PPE to donate, please contact Sgt. William Montanez, the head of our Office of Emergency Management, at montanezw@hobokenpd.org.
5 new COVID-19 cases:
The Hoboken Health Department reported to me that there were five new COVID-19 cases confirmed in Hoboken today, with a total of 61 overall.
Public health nurses and epidemiologists needed:
Our Health Department is doing a great job monitoring and tracking COVID-19 cases, but needs help. We need volunteer public health nurses and epidemiologists to assist with managing COVID-19 data issues. If you can help out, please email Director Pellegrini at lpellegrini@hobokennj.gov with subject line “public health nurse & epidemiologist”
Congregation without social distancing is strictly prohibited:
We’ve observed a good job of social distancing in our parks, but not so much on our waterfront. As I said on social media earlier today, congregating without social distancing is strictly prohibited, without exception. Doing so puts not only you at risk, but also your family, friends, and the rest of the entire City. Over the weekend, the Hoboken Police Department will be out in our waterfront areas to enforce the social distancing rules (with the exception of family members and others residing in the same household).
I am strongly urging people to first, stay indoors as much as possible, and second if you need to go outside for some fresh air, please do so in places away from the waterfront. I know the waterfront is a large part of what makes Hoboken special, but we need to spread out. Unfortunately, if congregating on our waterfront without social distancing continues to occur, there may be no choice but to close portions of our waterfront. I don’t want to take this measure, as other waterfront cities with boardwalks have done, but we may have no other option.
Sacrificing now will keep us all safe for the long run. I recognize that this may not be a popular message, but we need to think and act for the greater good and by doing so, we can save lives.
Blood drive:
Thank you to the many residents who quickly signed up for the All Saints’ two blood drives. Resident John Ferramosca along with the Hoboken Health Department and Councilwoman Emily Jabbour are organizing another emergency blood drive on Wednesday, April 8 from 11 am to 5 pm at the Multi-Service Center (124 Grand Street). Appointments are required, please visit redcrossblood.org and enter the code “Hoboken City” to sign up.
Bank hours:
Several seniors have reached out to my office regarding bank hours that may have changed due to COVID-19. Police Officer DePascale contacted our Hoboken banks to compile the revised local bank hours:
Bank of America
615 Washington Street
201-217-0625
Monday – Friday 10 am - 4 pm,
Saturday 9 am – 1 pm
BCB Bank
401 Washington Street
201-823-0700
Please call for appointment
Haven Savings Bank
621 Washington Street
201-659-3600
Monday – Friday 9 am – 4 pm,
Saturday 9 am -1 pm
Investors Bank
221 River Street
201-222-9030
P
lease call for appointment
Monday – Friday 9 am – 4 pm,
Saturday 9 am – 1 pm
M&T Bank
1018 Washington Street
201-653-7745
Monday – Friday 9 am – 4pm,
Saturday 9 am – 1 pm
Santander Bank
214 Washington Street
201-418-7900
Monday – Friday 9 am – 4 pm
Post Office:
The U.S. Post Offices located at 57 14th Street and 502 Grand Street are now closed for window service, while the Post Office at 89 River Street remains open for window service. All three post offices are open from 10 am until 5 pm for PO Box customers.
Additional small business information:
I’ve heard from a number of small business owners understandably concerned about paying rent for this upcoming month. Both the state and federal government are introducing programs to assist our small businesses and employees in the very near future, and that includes some emergency grant opportunities and loans that can be used to help pay rent. Before providing some of this information, my first suggestion – although I know it’s much easier said than done – is to speak to your landlord, to ask for flexibility in delaying the payment of rent. New Jersey is introducing emergency grants and loans next week while the U.S. House of Representatives just passed the $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package that includes emergency relief and loans that could be used for rent. These may not be available before the first of the month, and I make the direct ask as well to landlords of small businesses to give consideration to the fact that this grant and loan funding may not make it into the hands of our business owners by the time rent is due.
As I included in yesterday’s communication, if President Trump signs the stimulus package, one provision includes immediate help for small businesses in the form of a $10,000 grant for those small businesses applying for a Small Business Administration (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), which can be used for rent.
Here are some more details from the experts, as provided to my office:
Economic Injury Disaster Loans & Emergency Economic Injury Grants:
These grants provide an emergency advance of up to $10,000 to small businesses and private non-profits harmed by COVID-19 within three days of applying for an SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL). To access the advance, you must first apply for an EIDL and then request the advance. The advance does not need to be repaid under any circumstance, and may be used to keep employees on payroll, to pay for sick leave, meet increased production costs due to supply chain disruptions, or pay business obligations, including debts, rent and mortgage payments.
Payment Protection Program (PPP) Loans:
The program would provide cash-flow assistance through 100 percent federally guaranteed loans to employers who maintain their payroll during this emergency. If employers maintain their payroll, the loans would be forgiven, which would help workers remain employed, as well as help affected small businesses and our economy to snap-back quicker after the crisis. PPP has a host of attractive features, such as forgiveness of up to 8 weeks of payroll based on employee retention and salary levels, no SBA fees and at least six months of deferral with maximum deferrals of up to a year. Small businesses and other eligible entities will be able to apply if they were harmed by COVID-19 between February 15, 2020 and June 30, 2020. This program is would be retroactive to February 15, 2020, in order to help bring workers who may have already been laid off back onto payrolls. These loans can also be used for rent, group health benefits, payments on interest on any mortgage obligation, utilities, and interest on other debt obligations.
Small Business Debt Relief Program:
This program will provide immediate relief to small businesses with non-disaster SBA loans, in particular 7(a), 504, and microloans. Under it, SBA will cover all loan payments on these SBA loans, including principal, interest, and fees, for six months. This relief will also be available to new borrowers who take out loans within six months of the President signing the bill into law.
We will provide more information on the application processes in the coming days once the bill is signed into law by the President.
Here are some more opportunities for small businesses through the State and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, as provided directly by Governor Murphy’s office. In particular, the first option is also a $5,000 grant opportunity that will soon be available starting next week:
Small Business Emergency Assistance Grant Program – A $5 million program that will provide grants up to $5,000 to small businesses in retail, arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation, food service, and other services – such as repair, maintenance, personal, and laundry services – to stabilize their operations and reduce the need for layoffs or furloughs.
Small Business Emergency Assistance Loan Program – A $10 million program that will provide working capital loans of up to $100,000 to businesses with less than $5 million in revenues. Loans made through the program will have ten-year terms with zero percent for the first five years, then resetting to the EDA’s prevailing floor rate (capped at 3.00%) for the remaining five years.
Community Development Finance Institution (CDFI) Emergency Loan Loss Reserve Fund – A $10 million capital reserve fund to take a first loss position on CDFI loans that provide low interest working capital to micro businesses. This will allow CDFIs to withstand loan defaults due to the outbreak, which will allow them to provide more loans at lower interest rates to microbusinesses affected by the outbreak.
CDFI Emergency Assistance Grant Program – A $1.25 million program that will provide grants of up to $250,000 to CDFIs to scale operations or reduce interest rates for the duration of the outbreak.
NJ Entrepreneur Support Program – A $5 million program that will encourage continued capital flows to new companies, often in the innovation economy, and temporarily support a shaky market by providing 80 percent loan guarantees for working capital loans to entrepreneurs.
Small Business Emergency Assistance Guarantee Program – A $10 million program that will provide 50 percent guarantees on working capital loans and waive fees on loans made through institutions participating in the NJEDA’s existing Premier Lender or Premier CDFI programs.
Emergency Technical Assistance Program – A $150,000 program that will support technical assistance to New Jersey-based companies applying for State and US Small Business Administration programs. The organizations contracted will be paid based on SBA application submissions supported by the technical assistance they provide.
More information about the State’s programs can be found at faq.business.nj.gov.
Thank you,
Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla
Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 201-420-2000
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