f you have concerns that you might have COVID-19 or been exposed to it, UAMS Health has a HealthNow website where you can get free online screening: https://uamshealth.com/healthnow/
The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) is working with local, state and federal partners and has activated a call center to answer questions from health care providers and the public about the novel coronavirus. Learn more.
Call the Arkansas coronavirus hotlines: For children (staffed by Arkansas Children’s Hospital): 1-800-743-3616. For adults (staffed by UAMS): 1-800-632-4502. Contact the Arkansas Department of Health at 1-800-803-7847.
If you are a Medicare Beneficiary, consider using Telemedicine services. For more information, click HERE. For a FAQ on how to utilize telemedicine, click HERE.
The CDC offers information on how Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) spreads, symptoms, prevention and treatment, and what to do if you are sick, and frequently asked questions, including printable fliers. About Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Arkansas Department of Health tool that tracks the spread of COVID-19 in Arkansas: https://adem.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/f533ac8a8b6040e5896b05b47b17a647 Arkansas Center for Health Improvement (ACHI) has a webpage on COVID-19: www.achi.net/covid19 State NewsAs of March 25, Arkansas has reported 280 total known cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, according to Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson. Hutchinson previously said that all schools in Arkansas will close on-site instruction until April 17 to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Hutchinson previously declared a public-health emergency in Arkansas. The state will soon be receiving $6.2 million in emergency funding for virus response recently approved by Congress.
Small Business Resources
As part of Governor Hutchinson’s recent State of Arkansas Executive Department Proclamation EO – 20 – 13 (3) f, all Arkansas businesses are required to post a sign at the entrance of the facility informing all employees, customers, and congregants that they should: avoid entering the facility if they have a cough or fever; maintain a minimum six-foot distance from one another; sneeze and cough into one's elbow; not shake hands or engage in any unnecessary physical contact. We are pleased to provide a copy of the notice for Arkansas businesses and organizations here. We encourage you to print as many copies of this as you need and put them up at each of your facility entrances.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has approved Disaster Declaration #16372 Arkansas Disaster number AR-00109 as a statewide declaration for small business affected by Coronavirus (COVID-19). Effective date 1/31/2020. Businesses located in all counties in Arkansas can apply at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.
SBA Fact sheet regarding Arkansas disaster declaration and requirements: CLICK HERE Arkansas AEDC Redeploys $16 Million to Help Businesses Hurt by Coronavirus Outbreak. This article also covers the Quick Action Closing Fund, Community Development Block Grants, SBA disaster relief loans and Arkansas’s Unemployment Insurance System : http://ddh.law/artaxandincentivesupdate/post/arkansas-economic-development-commission-redeploys-dollar-12-million-of-economic-development-cash-to-help-businesses-hurt-by-coronavirus-outbreak Quick Action Loan Summary: CLICK HERE The Arkansas Attorney General’s Office has a COVID-19 page for use by the business community: https://arkansasag.gov/covid19/ The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) has issued an Emergency Order regarding licensing requirements, which you can read here. Also of interest is the Governor’s Executive Order 20-06. The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center (ASBTDC) is working remotely and is available to you by phone, email, and videoconferencing for one-on-one confidential consulting. Check their Contact page for ways to reach our staff or call 1-800-862-2040 and leave a message. One of their representatives will get in touch with you. ASBTDC also continues to schedule webinars on relevant topics to help small businesses during this crisis. Access their Event page here to register for a webinar.
The Arkansas Community Foundation has established a statewide COVID-19 Relief Fund. Contributions to the fund will provide rapid-response grants to nonprofit organizations working on the front lines: https://www.arcf.org/responding-to-covid-19-in-arkansas/
Unemployment Insurance Claims: Effective Monday, March 23, the state of Arkansas set up a hotline number, 844-908-2178, to make UI requests. Information is also available at https://www.arkansasedc.com/covid19. Please do not go to workforce centers to sign up for unemployment benefits. Update on Unemployment Insurance Program Waivers: CLICK HERE
Federal News
Small businesses that need financial support during this difficult time can begin applying for loans through the Paycheck Protection Program, a new $349 billion loan program established by the CARES Act. This NAM team-created overview will tell you who qualifies and how to apply for PPP loans. For more on other Small Business Administration loan programs and tax incentives, including provisions available to many trade associations, read a NAM summary here. More detailed information for borrowers provided by the Treasury Department can be found here and an application can be found here. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has launched a new relief page for businesses here. The COVID Tracking Project tracks the COVID-19 outbreak around the country: https://covidtracking.com/data/
What the Families First Response Act means for your business:
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is granting a 90-day delay past the traditional April 15th deadline to everyone who owes money to the IRS. Individuals can defer up to $1 million without any penalties or interest, and businesses can do the same for up to $10 million. To learn more, click HERE. The IRS released Notice 2020-17 providing additional information related to the extension of the deadline for Federal income tax payments.
All local Arkansas Social Security Offices are now closed to the public for in-person services. If you need to contact your local social security office, secure online services are available at www.socialsecurity.gov or you can call your local office. If you are not sure which Social Security office to call, you can find out here: https://www.ssofficelocation.com/arkansas-social-security-offices-sos4.
