Updated May 7, 2021 – Yellow Tier Updated Health Officer Order
The revisedHealth Officer Order Blueprint for a Safer Economy – Yellow Tieris effective as of 12:01 am on Thursday, May 06, 2021. The recent changes are highlighted in yellow: Aligns with the Yellow Tier safety modifications of the State’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy.
The following protocols have been updated and are effective as of Thursday, May 06, 2021:
This Health Officer Order, protocols and other pertinent information and resources can be found on the Los Angeles County Department of Public HealthCOVID-19 webpage. Thank you for your ongoing efforts to protect the health and well-being of Los Angeles County residents.
Small businesses have an additional two months to apply
PPP applicants can go through the loan process with the following changes:
The PPP program is open through May 31, 2021 or until the new funding is exhausted.
If you are a 501(c)(6), a 501(c)(5), a local news media organization, or a housing cooperative you may be newly eligible for a loan.
You may qualify even if you took advantage of the Employee Retention Tax Credit.
If you are a publicly traded company, you are now prohibited from receiving a loan.
Group insurance payment can be included in your payroll costs when determining your maximum loan amount (see Step 3 in our original Guide).
If you are a seasonal employer, you have greater flexibility in picking the 12-week period between February 15, 2019 and February 15, 2020 used to determine your payroll costs and thus your maximum loan amount.
Small businesses have an additional two months to apply which may also open the door to apply for a second PPP loan if the first draw was recently received and not enough time passed between loans to apply for a second one. (Eight weeks must pass between the loans so there’s time to spend the money on payroll.)
The Paycheck Protection Program ends on March 31, 2021. All eligible entities can apply through a participating lender until then.
Second Draw PPP Loans can be used to help fund payroll costs, including benefits. Funds can also be used to pay for mortgage interest, rent, utilities, worker protection costs related to COVID-19, uninsured property damage costs caused by looting or vandalism during 2020, and certain supplier costs and expenses for operations.
Maximum loan amount and increased assistance for accommodation and food services businesses.
For most borrowers, the maximum loan amount of a Second Draw PPP Loan is 2.5x the average monthly 2019 or 2020 payroll costs up to $2 million. For borrowers in the Accommodation and Food Services sector (use NAICS 72 to confirm), the maximum loan amount for a Second Draw PPP Loan is 3.5x the average monthly 2019 or 2020 payroll costs up to $2 million.
A borrower is generally eligible for a Second Draw PPP Loan if the borrower:
Previously received a First Draw PPP Loan and will or has used the full amount only for authorized uses
Has no more than 300 employees; and
Can demonstrate at least a 25% reduction in gross receipts between comparable quarters in 2019 and 2020
Don’t miss the SBDC’s webinar series on PPP to find out who is eligible, how to apply, loan details and how to use the funds. Register for the SBDC’s PPP webinar here.
Update: What If I Never Received a PPP Loan?
For new PPP applicants, the PPP program is open through May 31, 2021 or until the new funding is exhausted.
As of March 30, Los Angeles County has met the threshold for the less restrictive orange tier in the State’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy. Los Angeles County is entering the Orange Tier with key sectors reopening, resuming indoor operations and/or increasing capacity starting Monday, April 5. The Health Officer Order and modified directives for businesses will be posted on Friday, April 2, with an effective date of April 5.
and increase the number of participants obtaining in-person behavioral health or substance use disorder support in therapeutic small group meetings and obtaining in-person faith based small group counseling services, where the services cannot reasonably be practiced remotely.
Please continue to stay safe and keep our businesses open.
March 15, 2021 – LA County has entered the “Red Tier” of the State’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy and is lifting some local activity-specific restrictions, which went into effect Monday, March 15, 2021. However, Los Angeles County continues to experience substantial rates of COVID-19 transmission, and the danger COVID-19 poses to our community has not subsided. Vaccinations are occurring as quickly as supplies allow, but most people in our community are not vaccinated. New variants of the virus that may spread more easily or cause more severe illness are present in our county; however, their impact on our local pandemic is largely unknown.
The LA County Department of Public Health urges businesses, entities, and residents to continue exercising caution even as certain restrictions are lifted. Just because certain activities are allowed or certain reopening protocols are revised, that does not mean that those activities are “safe”. Businesses and customers should continue to regularly check the County Public Health website for updates to their sector-specific protocol(s) to ensure they are in compliance with the most current safety modifications.
The updated Health Officer Order adds three protocols: Appendix S – Youth and Adult Recreational Sports; Appendix W – Limited Services; and Appendix X – Movie Theaters.
Newly permitted activities and modified safety protocols in the red tier will include the following:
Museum, Zoos and Aquariums can open indoors at 25% capacity.
Gyms, Fitness Centers, Yoga and Dance Studios can open indoors at 10% capacity with masking requirement for all indoor activities.
Movie Theatres can open indoors at 25% capacity with reserved seating only where each group is seated with at least 6 feet of distance in all directions between any other groups.
Retail and Personal Care Services can increase capacity to 50% with masking required at all times and for all services.
Restaurants can open indoors at 25% max capacity under the following conditions: 8 feet distancing between tables; one household per table with a limit of 6 people; the HVAC system is in good working order and has been evaluated, and to the maximum extent possible ventilation has been increased. Public Health strongly recommends that all restaurant employees interacting with customers indoors are provided with additional masking protection (above the currently required face shield over face masks); this can be fit tested N95 masks, KN95 masks, or double masks and a face shield. In addition, Public Health strongly recommends that all employees working indoors are informed about and offered opportunities to be vaccinated. Outdoor dining can accommodate up to six people per table from 3 different households.
Indoor Shopping Malls can increase capacity to 50% with common areas remaining closed; food courts can open at 25% capacity adhering to the restaurant guidance for indoor dining.
Institutes of Higher Education can re-open all permitted activities with required safety modifications except for residential housing which remains under current restrictions for the Spring semester.
Schools are permitted to re-open for in-person instruction for students in grades 7-12 adhering to all state and county directives.
Private gatherings can occur indoors with up to 3 separate households, with masking and distancing required at all times. People who are fully vaccinated can gather in small numbers indoors with other people who are fully vaccinated without required masking and distancing.
February 25, 2021 – Health & Wellness: COVID-19 Update & Best Practices
The Lomita Chamber hosted an informative Q&A session with Dr. Zachary Gray, Medical Director of the Emergency Department at Torrance Memorial Medical Center
Dr. Gray provided an update on COVID-19 and vaccinations, offered best practices that businesses, employees and patrons can take to stay safe, and steps to take if you contract the virus.
