Coronavirus News
April 11, 2020
Maine Tourism Relief Fund
The Maine Tourism Relief Fund was created by the Maine Tourism Association to provide relief to small businesses and their employees experiencing great hardship as a result of business closures in the state due to COVID-19.
Through this fund, grants will be made to small businesses based in the state of Maine who work in tourism-related industries for companies with less than 50 people who have been impacted by coronavirus. It also helps their employees who have experienced a decrease in wages or loss of employment. More...
April 6, 2020
Opportunity Knox – A Centralized Site to Support Local Businesses & Organizations
Opportunity Knox is a local online platform designed to support and sustain Knox County’s small businesses through the COVID-19 crisis. More...
April 5, 2020
Maine Department of Labor Announces Alphabetical Call-in Schedule for Unemployment Benefits
After receiving an unprecedented number of unemployment claims due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the Maine Department of Labor (MDOL) announced a new alphabetical-by-last-name call-in schedule for Maine people filing for unemployment benefits. The new schedule will help reduce phone line congestion as the Department ramps up its capacity to receive and process claims. More...
April 3, 2020
Governor Mills Issues Executive Order Mandating Quarantine Restrictions on Travelers Arriving in Maine
Governor Janet Mills today issued an Executive Order mandating that travelers arriving in Maine, regardless of their state of residency, self-quarantine for 14 days to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. More...
April 3, 2020
SBA's Paycheck Protection Program - April 3, 2020
Starting today, small businesses and sole proprietors can access this program. Starting April 10, independent contractors and self-employed individuals can apply. More...
April 3, 2020
Assistance for Small Businesses
The Paycheck Protection Program prioritizes millions of Americans employed by small businesses by authorizing up to $349 billion toward job retention and certain other expenses. More...
April 3, 2020
IRS: Employee Retention Credit available for many businesses financially impacted by COVID-19
The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service today launched the Employee Retention Credit, designed to encourage businesses to keep employees on their payroll. The refundable tax credit is 50% of up to $10,000 in wages paid by an eligible employer whose business has been financially impacted by COVID-19. More...
April 2, 2020
A Small Business Guide and Checklist for the Paycheck Protection Program
On Friday, March 27, 2020, the U.S. Congress passed and the president signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. As part of the $2.2 trillion stimulus funds included in the CARES Act, $350 billion is allocated to help small businesses. Known as the “Paycheck Protection Program,” small businesses that maintain their payroll during the COVID-19 pandemic will be able to apply for 100% federally guaranteed emergency loans. These loans may be forgiven if borrowers maintain their payrolls during the crisis or restore their payrolls afterward. More...
April 1, 2020
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)
The Paycheck Protection Program is a loan designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll. SBA will forgive loans if all employees are kept on the payroll for eight weeks and the money is used for payroll, rent, mortgage interest, or utilities. The Paycheck Protection Program will be available through June 30, 2020. More...
March 31, 2020
Governor Mills Issues Stay Healthy at Home Mandate
Governor Janet Mills today issued a series of substantial new mandates to protect public health and safety in the face of COVID-19, including a Stay Healthy at Home directive that requires people living in Maine to stay at home at all times unless for an essential job or an essential personal reason, such as obtaining food, medicine, health care, or other necessary purposes. More...