Bridge To Recovery
The Bridge to Recovery program supports the GO Virginia Region 3 service area by creating a network to enable businesses who need specific professional services or products due to COVID-19, to connect with businesses in the Region 3 footprint who provide those services and products. Learn More about the Bridge To Recovery Program
Economic Resources
Economic Developers within the Southern Virginia Regional Alliance quickly moved to form a COVID-19 Emergency Task Force to monitor COVID-19 and collect information on economic resources for Southern Virginia companies. Below is a list of programs and resources currently available. We will continue to populate this list with additional resources as they become available.
Navigate to a specific section below:
State
Federal
Consultants and Professional Service Organizations
Additional Resources
Local and Regional
Webinar Recordings
Regional News Articles
SoVa COVID-19 Task Force Members
COVID-19 Events Calendar - This calendar will be populated with COVID-19 events and webinars being offered.
* NEW Workforce Soultions Webinar Recordings
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Watch our latest SoVa Taskforce Webinars:
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* NEW Measuring the Impact of COVID-19 on Women in the Labor Force
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Watch our latest SoVa COVID-19 Webinar: |
State
Find vital information on the status of COVID-19 regulations and support. Many local programs are governed and have allocations flow through the states subject to federal guidelines. This is an ideal starting point for assistance, further enhanced by non-governmental state resources as well as federal and local information.
Commonwealth of Virginia - Coronavirus (COVID-19) measures to ensure the health and safety of Virginians.
* NEWGovernor Glenn Youngkin Updated COVID-19 Action Plan
* NEW Commonwealth's Workplace Safety Standard Revoked - Guidance for Employers to Mitigate the Risk of COVID-19 to Worker effective March 2022
Prior COVID-19 Executive Orders:
Summary of Recent Changes from CDC include:
- Updated information for fully vaccinated people given new evidence on the B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant currently circulating in the United States.
- Added a recommendation for fully vaccinated people to wear a mask in public indoor settings in areas of substantial or high transmission.
- Added information that fully vaccinated people might choose to wear a mask regardless of the level of transmission, particularly if they are immunocompromised or at increased risk for severe disease from COVID-19, or if they have someone in their household who is immunocompromised, at increased risk of severe disease or not fully vaccinated.
- Added a recommendation for fully vaccinated people who have come into close contact with someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 to be tested 3-5 days after exposure, and to wear a mask in public indoor settings for 14 days or until they receive a negative test result.
- CDC recommends universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to schools, regardless of vaccination status.
The full text of Third Amended Executive Order Seventy-Two and Order of Public Health Emergency Nine is available here. Updated guidelines for specific sectors can be found here.
Amended EO 72 Order of Public Health Emergency Nine Commonsense Surge Restrictions - Order shall be effective immediately and shall remain in full force and effect until 11:59 p.m., February 28, 2021. Guidelines for All Business Sectors
EO 72 Order of Public Health Emergency Nine Commonsense Surge Restrictions - includes modified Stay at Home Order from 12:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m., mask requirement aged five and over, reduction in social gatherings to 10 individuals, limits on dining establishments - alcohol remains prohibited after 10:00 p.m. and tasting rooms must close by midnight.
EO 67 Amended Phase Three Tightening Of Certain Temporary Restrictions Due To Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) - Reduction in public and private gatherings, strengthened enforcement within essential retail businesses, and on-site alcohol curfew.
- EO 67 - Order of Public Health Emergency Seven Phase Three Easing of Certain Temporary Restrictions Due to Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19)
- Safer At Home: Phase Three Guidelines For All Business Sectors | Forward Virginia: Phase Three - Frequently Asked Questions
EO 63 - Order Of Public Health Emergency Five Requirement To Wear Face Covering While Inside Buildings
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- EO 63 - Amended - Expansion of mask mandate: All Virginians aged five and over are required to wear face coverings in indoor public spaces.
- EO 63 - Frequently Asked Questions
EO 65 - Order Of Public Health Emergency Six - Phase Two Easing of Certain Temporary Restrictions Due to Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)
- EO 65 - Safer at Home: Phase Two Guidelines for All Business Sectors
- Governor Northam Shares Guidance for Phased Reopening of PreK-12 Schools
EO 55 - Temporary Stay at Home Order
- EO 53 - Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Executive Order Fifty-Three
- EO 53 Amended Governor Northam Extends Business Closures for Two Weeks to May 8
- EO 53 Second Amended Temporary Restrictions on Restaurants, recreational, entertainment, gatherings, non-essential retail business, adn closure of K-12 Schools due to COVID-19
Return to Earn Grant - initative will match up to $500 that a qualifying small business pays directly to a new employee hired after May 31, 2021 (either as lump sum or installments to offset the ongoing coasts of child care, transportation, or other barriers to re-employment)
- Virginia Career Works Center
- Virginia Career Works Referral Portal
- Local Workforce Deleopment Board
- Frequently Asked Questions
*NEW VDH Interim Guidance - Interim guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in Virginia Prek-12 Schools | Updated February 11, 2022
*NEW Department of Labor and Industry - Revised Final Standard For Infectious Disease Prevention. The revised permanent standard can be found here. Infectious disease preparedness and response plan templates and training guidance are available at doli.virginia.gov. DOLI Emergency Temporary Standard Infectious Disease Prevention As Adopted by the Safety and Health Codes Board on July 15, 2020. Resources - Outreach, Education And Training For The COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard, 16VAC25-220. Read the DOLI News Release
REBUILD! VA Grant - The Rebuild VA Grant Fund is a program to help small businesses and non-profits whose normal operations were disrupted by COVID-19. All available funds have been exhausted at this time.
Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services - (VDACS) provides relevant and up-to-date guidance and resources related to agriculture and agribusiness concerns.
Virginia Department of Education - provides division and building-level administrators, school health coordinators and educators with ready access to up-to-date resources and information about COVID-19 and the steps schools should take to safeguard the health of students and staff.
Virginia Department of Health - Continual updates on the latest numbers and information relevant to COVID-19.
VDH COVID-19 Vaccination Response - Information on the vaccination plan for Virginia and Virginia's COVID-19 Vaccine Statewide pre-registration system - Vaccinate.Virginia.gov
Virginia Department of Housing & Community Development - DHCD is making available current CDBG funding to small cities, towns and rural counties to respond to local needs related to COVID-19 response. Using CDBG Resources in Response to Covid-19
Virginia Department of Small Business & Supplier Diversity - List of COVID-19 Resources for Small Businesses
Virginia Department of Taxation - Tax-related coronavirus updates including relief for taxpayers affected by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic
Virginia Employment Commission - Information on the latest changes to benefits application processes and requirement changes due to COVID-19, unemployment process, and office closings.
Virginia Tourism Corporation - Virginia Tourism has provided guidance for travelers, meeting planners, business resources, and support materials for marketing professionals.
Virginia Chamber- Comprehensive overview of resources to ensure your business and your employees have necessary information.
Virginia Economic Developers Association (VEDA) - News and resources from VEDA the voice of economic development in Virginia including weekly recorded webinars
Virginia Municipal League (VML) - VML has developed a regularly-updated, resource addressing questions frequently asked of VML regarding the use and tracking of CARES Act funds by localities - Analysis of CARES Act Funding Questions Raised by Local Governments about Eligible Spending Purposes.
Federal
National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedeness - January 2021
Center for Disease Control and Prevention - As the nation's health protection agency, the CDC is the main source of information for health, safety, and security threats.
Coronavirus.gov - Community resources, virus updates, and small business guidance
Federal Reserve System - newly launched Main Street Lending Program - Federal Reserve takes additional actions to provide up to $2.3 trillion in loans to support the economy
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Food & Drug Administration (FDA) -The FDA also has resources available for businesses looking to increase production or import PPE.
IRS Coronavirus Relief - The IRS has established a special section focused on steps to help taxpayers, businesses and others affected by the coronavirus.
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- Businesses and Tax-Exempt Entities New Employer Tax Credits - Your small or large business or tax-exempt organization may be eligible for COVID-19 relief.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) - Guidance on preparing workplace on COVID-19
U.S. Small Business Administration - Small business guidance & loan resource Find Eligible SBA Lenders - Use this tool to find a nearby lender eligible to issue a loan under the Paycheck Protection Program. The U.S. Small Business Administration, in consultation with the Treasury Department, announced on January 8, that the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) will re-open the week of January 11 for new borrowers and certain existing PPP borrowers.
- *NEW PPP Loan Forgiveness
- First Draw PPP Loans Forgiveness Terms - Compensation levels maintaned, loan proceedes spent on payroll and other eligible expenses, 60% proceeds spent on payroll costs
- Second Draw PPP Loan Forgiveness Terms - Compensation levels maintaned, loan proceedes spent on payroll and other eligible expenses, 60% proceeds spent on payroll costs
Virginia SBDC - Recovery Resources for Small Businesses - Resources for businesses to look at reopening and/or planning to transition to the 'new normal'.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce - Combating the coronavirus resources for businesses
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) - Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) - Includes FAQs on critical infrastructure, crop insurance, economic research, farm programs, food safety, and more.
- Secretary Perdue Statement on Economic Injury Disaster Loans Being Available to U.S. Agricultural Businesses Impacted by COVID-19 Pandemic
- USDA Unveils Tool to Help Rural Communities Address the COVID-19 Pandemic - a one-stop-shop of federal programs that can be used by rural communities, organizations and individuals.
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- The COVID-19 Federal Rural Resource Guide is a first-of-its-kind resource for rural leaders looking for federal funding and partnership opportunities
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency - Memorandum on Identification of Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers During Covid-19 Response
U.S. Department of Labor Coronavirus Resources - Resources to help workers and employers prepare for the COVID-19 virus
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- Families First Coronavirus Response Act: Employer Paid Leave Requirements - Employer Paid Leave Requirements effective April 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020.
U.S. Economic Development Administration EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance - provides a wide-range of financial assistance to communities and regions as they respond to and recoverfrom the pandemic.
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission - What You Should Know About the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and COVID-19
U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship - The Small Business Owner’s Guide to the CARES Act - To help small business owners and entrepreneurs better understand the new programs.
Consultants and Professional Service Organizations
Hunton Andrews Kurth
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resource Center - Collection of resources to help clients understand and respond to the legal implications of this global health emergency
- Government Relations and Economic Development Pandemic Resource Center - Resources dedicated to government relations and economic development
- Small Business Association 7(a) Loan Program - An Overview of the Small Business Association 7(a) Loan Program and Summary of Other CARES Act SBA Provisions
- COVID-19 and Employee Temperature Screenings – What Employers Need to Know Regarding Temperature Checks
Littler: Frequently Asked Questions on Workplace Privacy and COVID-19 - Answers to FAQs about an employer’s privacy obligations for medical information questionnaires, temperature screenings, self-reporting obligations, and medical examinations.
Cushman & Wakefield
- Recovery Readiness: A How-to Guide for Reopening your Workplace Version 2.0 - Updated as of September 2020 - This guide outlines some of the best thinking and practices that our more than 53,000 professionals have compiled across the globe and also includes insights from key partners.
- Are You Prepared to Return to the Workplace? - Workplace specialists captured more than 2.5 million data points from workers all over the globe in the pre-COVID-19 era and a further 1.7 million data points from more than 40,000 respondents in the current work from home environment to develop a report on the future of workplace.
- Warehouse Readiness Essentials Checklist - experts in the Logistics, Industrial and Production sectors compiled the Warehouse Readiness Essentials Checklist to share experiences, industry knowledge and best practices across the globe, including insights from key partners.
- Retail Readiness Essentials Checklist - Retail experts have compiled the Retail Readiness Essentials Checklist to share experiences, industry knowledge and best practices across the globe.
- Recovery Readiness Guide - A How-to Guide for Reopening your Workplace, a comprehensive guide for real estate tenants and landlords on reopening workplaces as stay-at-home restrictions are lifted.
- The Safe Six Checklist that Brett White, Executive Chairman & CEO of Cushman & Wakefield, discussed on CNBC, Bloomberg and Good Morning America.
Additional Resources:
GRANTSPACE - Where can I find emergency financial resources to help with COVID-19 hardships? This site has a very comprehensive list of grant opportunities, from state and federal grants, to private sector grants, to industry specific grants large and small.
COVID-19 impact: Understanding the importance of supply chains -Business professor explains how supply chains may be affected during a pandemic
GENEDGE - Information and resources for Virginia manufacturers
- Virginia Supply Chain Connector - GENEDGE is bringing together manufacturers from across Virginia to address the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) that is hitting health care providers hard. Join the Virginia Supply Chain Connector and be part of the effort to build a Virginia-based supply chain for PPE.
Main Street America - Existing resources, opportunities, and community response examples to help Main Street districts during this crisis.
National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) - NAM is working with manufacturers who are looking to change their business lines to support the COVID response.
Southern Piedmont Technology Council - List of technology resources available including teleworking/security, business, technology and education resources, and free technology app offerings.
Virginia Career Works – West Piedmont Region Region Rapid Response- Assist small businesses (fewer than 250 employees per site) with certain costs related to the COVID-19 crisis that mitigates or minimizes potential job losses.
Virginia Farm Bureau Producer Resources Related to the Coronavirus COVID-19 - Timely and relevant information related to farm operations during this public health challenge
Farm Credit Administration - This page provides information about the Paycheck Protection Program and guidance for Farm Credit System institutions for making loans under the program.
Virginia Manufacturers Association (VMA) - Updates from the VMA for Virginia’s manufacturing sector, its employees and supply chain.
Virginia SBDC - Longwood - COVID-19 business resources page
Local and Regional
The latest information on local and regional support, office closings, and webinars and outreach to businesses and citizens.
- Patrick County
- Patrick County Chamber of Commerce
- Martinsville City and Henry County
- Martinsville Henry County Chamber of Commerce
- Martinsville Henry County Economic Development
- Pittsylvania County
- Danville City
- Danville Pittsylvania County Economic Development
- Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce
- Halifax County
- Halifax County Chamber of Commerce
COVID-19 Events Calendar - This calendar will be populated with COVID-19 events and webinars being offered.
Webinar Recordings
- SoVa Wednesday Webinars: DOLI Emergency Workplace Safety Standards | July 22 | RECORDING | DOLI Document Referenced | Bio
- SoVa COVID-19 Recovery Work Groups May 27 - May 28 | Presentation | Presentation with Notes
- SoVa Wednesday Webinars: COVID-19 Human Resource Concerns | RECORDING | Bios | Presentations
- SoVa Wednesday Webinars: Business and Economic Impact of COVID-19 | Bios | Presentation | RECORDING
- SoVa Wednesday Webinars: Marketing for Reopening your Business | RECORDING | Presentations
- SoVa Wednesday Webinar: Forward Virginia Recovery Plan | RECORDING | Bios
- SoVa Wednesday Webinars: COVID-19 Relief Funding - RECORDING | Speaker Bios | Presentations
- SoVa Wednesday Webinars: Supply Chain Challenges and Future Opportunities - RECORDING | Speaker Bios
- VEDP - Global Trade Disruptions: What Businesses Should Know About Tariffs, Trade Actions, and Supply Chains Recording
- SBA Recordings -List of available SBA Economic Resources webinars
- International Trade in a COVID-19 World – Export Financing During Uncertain Times - Recording
- VEDP Legal Considerations During Uncertain Times - Recording
- CARES Act Resources for Small Business - Covers Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), additional small business benefits, as well as other important considerations - Recording| Presentation
- Families First Coronavirus Response Act - Attorneys Sam Jackson and Mandy Strickland Floyd, will guide you through the new law’s requirements and provide you with some bottom-line answers to how this law may impact your business and employment decisions - Recording | Presentation
- International Economic Development Council (IEDC) COVID-19: Preparing for What Comes Next - Recording
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Danville Pittsylvania Chamber of Commerce: COVID-19 Regional Updates and Impacts Recording
- Halifax County Chamber of Commerce: COVID-19 Halifax County Employer Briefing Recording
- Canon Virginia partners with New College Institute (NCI) in Martinsville, Virginia to manufacture face shields
- Small business owners in Danville form 'Small Business Task Force'
- Danville IDA approves three new emergency grant, loan programs for small businesses
- Community Comes Together to Support Local Healthcare Providers - SVHEC R&D Center supports local effort to make aerosol boxes for medical staff treating COVID-19 patients
- In response to COVID-19, Eastman rapidly produces material for needed face shields
- PHCC donates thousands of masks, other equipment to healthcare workers
- In a spirit of helping, Dry Fork Fruit Distillery churning out hand sanitizer during pandemic
- To support shortage, Gloster employees producing masks
- SVHEC, SVCC Donate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital
- Martinsville shop goes into mask production to address shortage of medical-grade masks for hospitals and nursing homes
- Coronavirus brings distilleries, NASCAR full circle
- IDA Board Addresses Economic Downturn - Coronavirus-related updates pertaining to small businesses
- Patrick Henry Community College's Fab Lab makes protective face shields for medical workers
- Springfield Distillery shifts production to hand sanitizer
- Dan River Region leaders discuss local response to virus
SoVa COVID-19 Task Force News
- To help businesses, SoVa COVID-19 Task Force forms
- VIRUS-RELATED BRIEFS: SoVa COVID-19 task force formed; SCORE sets webinar
- Regional economic developers create SoVa COVID-19 Task Force
- COVID-19 task force formed
- Press Release SoVa COVID-19 Task Force Formed
SoVa COVID-19 Task Force Members: Rebecca Adcock, Patrick County Chamber of Commerce; Sean Adkins, Patrick County Economic Development; Corrie Bobe, City of Danville Economic Development; Kristy Johnson, Halifax County IDA; Anne Moore Sparks, Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce; Telly Tucker, Institute for Advanced Learning and Research; Linda Green, Southern Virginia Regional Alliance; Deborah Gosney, Southside Planning District Commission; Todd Haymore, Hunton Andrews Kurth; Michael Armbrister, West Piedmont Planning District Commission; Mitzi McCormick, Halifax County Chamber of Commerce; Matt Rowe, Pittsylvania County Economic Development; Martinsville Henry County Chamber of Commerce.