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JOINT MEDIA RELEASE: Benton County Commissioners, Franklin County Commissioners, and Benton-Franklin Health District

Contact:
Benton-Franklin Health District PIO
Eoc.pio@bfhd.wa.gov
509-460-4200

July 2, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Benton and Franklin Counties were approved today to move to modified Phase 1 of the state’s Safe Start Phased Reopening Plan. Washington State Secretary of Health John Weisman’s approval of the counties’ applications allows limited and modified openings for some businesses and personal activities in Benton and Franklin Counties effective at midnight tonight.

Activities allowed include:

• Construction as permitted in Phase 2 guidance (new construction projects can occur)
• Manufacturing as permitted in Phase 2 guidance (non-essential manufacturing)
• Restaurants for outdoor seating only at 50% of existing outdoor capacity
• In-store retail at 15% indoor capacity with indoor activities limited to 30 minutes
• Personal services at 25% indoor capacity
• Dog groomers at 25% indoor capacity
• No gatherings with people outside of the household except for small behavioral health support groups of fewer than 5 people

Businesses that are allowed to reopen are required to follow the state Department of Health’s specific guidance but must adjust their occupancy to the levels identified above. Before opening, businesses must do the following: 

1. All businesses must sign a business pledge that they will following all COVID-19 guidance. Spanish business pledge
2. Complete a COVID-19 Safety Plan and submit it by email or in person to Benton or Franklin County. Spanish COVID-19 Safety Plan
3. Post the COVID-19 Safety Plan at the front of the business
4. Require face coverings for employees and customers
5. Post signs stating that face coverings are required. English Mask Required Sign Spanish Mask Required Sign

Plans must be submitted to the county in which the business is licensed.

• Benton County – please email to covidplan@co.benton.wa.us or drop in large yellow postal box in the drive lane at the side of Benton-Franklin Health District.
• Franklin County – please email to covid-19businesssafetyplans@co.franklin.wa.us or use the Franklin County Treasurer drop box located in courthouse parking lot next to security building labeled COVID 19 business plans

Washington Department of Health will continue to closely monitor the status of COVID- 19 in Benton and Franklin Counties especially hospitalizations. If hospitalizations for COVID-19 significantly increase throughout the course of implementing this plan, the state will consider a strict lock down of the counties, including closure of nearly all businesses.

The Benton-Franklin Health District Board of Health wants to remind the public to continue to follow all the precautions in Phase 1, including wearing face coverings in public, staying at least six feet away from other people, practicing excellent hand hygiene and staying home when they’re sick. More information on COVID-19 can be
found on Benton-Franklin Health District’s website at www.bfhd.wa.gov/covid-19.

PPE Distribution for Small Businesses
DATES: Thursday and Friday, June 25 and June 26 
TIME: Curbside pick-up from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
PLACE: Tri-Cities Business & Visitor Center – 7130 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick

The Tri-Cities Open & Coalition is rescheduling the personal protection equipment (PPE) distribution for small businesses to June 25-26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Tri-Cities Visitor & Business Center at 7130 W. Grandridge Blvd. in Kennewick. 

The Tri-Cities community rallied to support local small businesses by donating face masks, gloves and hand sanitizer during the Coalition’s PPE Drive earlier this week. Many of the generous donations were provided in bulk, such as the hand sanitizer, and will be repackaged to distribute throughout the community. This caused a brief delay in distribution as smaller containers for repackaging are currently in transit. The Coalition expects to provide PPE packages to approximately 275 businesses, first come, first served.

To be eligible, businesses must be located in Benton or Franklin Counties, provide a business card and sign the Tri-Cities Open and Safe Pledge. The Tri-Cities Open and Safe Pledge indicates their commitment to following public health district guidelines, enhanced employee safety protocols, frequent cleaning, using face coverings, complying with social distancing guidelines, and encouraging customer hygiene. Business can find and sign the pledge at tcopenandsafe.com. 

The Tri-Cities Open and Safe Coalition has launched “Tri-Cities Open and Safe,” a region-wide initiative to support and recognize local businesses as the Tri-Cities begins to reopen under the Safe Start Washington proclamation. The intent of the initiative is to protect public health and restore our local economy.
 
For small business owners the COVID-19 pandemic has presented many unexpected challenges. As our region prepares for the phased approach to reopening, the responsibility of providing PPE for employees falls on the business owner. In a time of uncertainty and financial hardship not all small businesses have the budget to provide the necessary equipment. The Tri-Cities Open and Safe Coalition recognizes the need and will be collecting items and distributing them to small businesses in need.
 
The catalyst for the PPE donations for small business is a major donation of 10,000 face masks from UniFirst.  UniFirst has been operating in the region for nearly 20 years; providing hygienically clean uniforms and quality business products to businesses. 
 
The Tri-Cities Open and Safe Coalition is seeking donations from those who may have an excess of masks, gloves, hand sanitizers and other PPE to help with this endeavor to donate what they can. 
 
DATES:                 Monday and Tuesday, June 15th and 16th
TIME:                    Curbside drop off from 10 am to 2 pm
PLACE:                Tri-Cities Business & Visitor Center – 7130 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick

The Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce supports the inclusion of liability protection for businesses in the next COVID-19 Federal Aid Bill.

Chamber President & CEO, Lori Mattson, sent a letter on May 21 to U.S. Senators Patty Murry and Maria Cantwell as well as Congressman Dan Newhouse in support of the protections.

“Many businesses and organizations are concerned about reopening due to the risk associated with being held liable if one of their employees contracts coronavirus after coming back to work,” the letter reads. “If we want to see businesses reopen, conditions must be created to provide some level of certainty. A myriad of lawsuits will pour salt in the deep wounds that employers have recently suffered.

“As we begin to restart the economy, the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce urges your support of legislation that will create legal protections for businesses and nonprofits who are in compliance with health guidelines.”

The Regional Chamber supports liability protections for the following three reasons:

1. It’s pro-business
2. Liability protection provides some certainty to businesses in uncertain times
3. Businesses following state and federal guidelines should be confident in getting back to business
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“As the voice for Tri-City business, the Chamber urges the U.S. Senate to include liability protections in the next COVID-19 aid bill,” said Mattson. “We know there is a huge lobby against tort reform, but we cannot sit back and watch COVID-related litigation go unchecked without speaking up for business throughout our region.”

The Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce has established a new coalition designed to advocate for better care of the region’s senior/elderly population.

The Tri-City Senior Care Support Coalition is made up of industry and community leaders, including: Carol Moser (Executive Director, Greater Columbia Accountable Community of Health), Roy Wu (Owner, Advent Care & Home Instead Senior Care), LoAnn Ayers (President and CEO, United Way of Benton & Franklin Counties), Johannah Weeks (Co-Owner, Chinook Home Care), and Kirk. F. Williamson (Program Manager, Benton-Franklin Community Health Alliance).

On Wednesday, May 13, the coalition sent a letter to U.S. Senators Patty Murray, Maria Cantwell and Representative Dan Newhouse. The letter outlined three issues for consideration: 

1. Classify Care Givers as Healthcare Workers
   
2. Include hazard pay, stipends, and/or tax relief for Care Givers (Healthcare Workers) for future legislation to incentivize hiring
   
3. Provide support for local supply chain sourcing of PPE’s to senior care facilities

As COVID-19 has ripped through the region, the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce has been tirelessly working to support its members as well as the community at large.

“As the voice for business in the Tri-Cities, the Regional Chamber strives to bridge the divide between businesses and available resources. Sometimes during this process, gaps in service and resources are revealed – and we help fill them,” said Lori Mattson, President and CEO of the Regional Chamber.

Help Is here. 

Many business owners are struggling to understand the ever-changing available resources during the COVID-19 crisis. The Tri-City Regional Chamber is launching the Business Resource Rapid Response line to provide guidance for Tri-City businesses to connect with the resources available at the local, regional, state and federal levels. 

The Regional Chamber's Government and Regional Affairs Director, Stephanie Swanberg, will be fielding calls on the response line  Monday through Thursday from 10 am - 12 pm at 509-546-1613.

The Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce is here to help you connect to available options and new resources.

We will navigate this crisis, together.

All In Tri-Cities is a locally-organized effort to connect people who feel called to help with those most in need during the COVID-19 crisis. It mirrors a similar effort called All in Seattle which has raised over $27 million to provide immediate assistance for people impacted by COVID-19.

“Our community is struggling. Many businesses are facing uncertainty, many people have lost their jobs, some have lost loved ones, and others their sense of connection. We didn't just want to hunker down in our houses and wait. We wanted to help, but didn't know where to start, where to contribute, or even who needs help the most in our area. All in Tri-Cities came from there" said Lori Mattson, President of the Tri-City Regional Chamber. “It’s going to take a while for us to recover and we need everyone helping to get our community back to where we were.”

A diverse range of community leaders—informed by input from the cities, state and private sector— have identified trustworthy, local non-profit organizations who have an established track record of delivering high quality, inclusive services, hyper locally. These organizations are already on the ground and are quickly deploying resources to help our neighbors. All in Tri-Cities looks to serve as a catalyst to get everyone in the community who can donate or act in some way to help these organizations supporting those across our community who are impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.

Currently, they have curated organizations for:

• Food Security
• Families and Children
• Health Care
• Small Businesses
• The Arts Community
• Housing

For more information on All In Tri-Cities, visit https://www.allintricities.org/.

Eighth District Sen. Sharon Brown and Reps. Brad Klippert and Matt Boehnke, all R-Kennewick, will be hosting a telephone town hall this Thursday, April 23, from 4 - 5 pm.

During the hour-long call, the lawmakers will provide their thoughts on this year's 60-day legislative session and the ongoing coronavirus crisis. They will also take calls from constituents and ask a number of survey questions.

To participate, 8th District residents can call (509) 207-7114.

For more information, contact:

Sen. Brown at (360) 786-7614 or Sharon.Brown@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Klippert at (360) 786-7882 or Brad.Klippert@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Boehnke at (360) 786-7986 or Matt.Boehnke@leg.wa.gov

The Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce was awarded a contract from the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) to plan and execute a monthly education series aimed at increasing employer and employee knowledge of L&I rules and regulations.

The 21 planned workshops will target small businesses and nonprofit organizations with 50 or fewer employees throughout the counties of Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, Columbia, Grant, Yakima, and Klickitat. The workshops will be free of charge to those who wish to attend. Workshop topics will vary county by county. The Regional Chamber will work with the state and local L&I offices to develop the workshops to ensure the material is relevant to the audience. The workshops will be scheduled through June 2021. All workshops will be held in-person or delivered via Zoom.
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More information on the workshops will be released once plans are finalized. Information on the workshops will be posted on the Chamber’s Facebook page as well as here on tricityregionalchamber.com.

Congressman Dan Newhouse will discuss the federal response to COVID-19 on an upcoming webinar hosted by the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce.

“The Federal Response to COVID-19 with Congressman Newhouse” webinar will take place on Friday, April 10 from 11 am – 12 pm. Rep. Newhouse will brief attendees on what the Federal Government is doing to combat COVID-19 and how they’re assisting small businesses. The congressman is also expected to answer questions. All questions must be submitted prior to the start of the webinar. Questions should be e-mailed to logan.lapierre@tricityregionalchamber.com.

The webinar will be free to view on Zoom and Facebook Live.

The “Ask the Experts: Responding to COVID-19" series is one of the resources launched by the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce in order to help the Tri-Cities business community during the COVID-19 pandemic. In March, the Chamber launched the Tri-Cities: Open for Business initiative, featuring a comprehensive website featuring special service offers, food and drink pickup options, small business resources, and much more, in order to help Chamber members get the information they need during this crisis. The website, which is updated daily, can be found at tcopenforbusiness.com.