Good afternoon,
Today Premier Higgs announced that NB is moving to the next phase of the province’s re-opening and recovery plan.
Subject to the Public Health and WorkSafeNB COVID-19 general guidance, the following activities are allowed:
- Elective surgeries and other non-emergency health services
- Two-household bubble
- Gatherings with social distancing of 10 or fewer
- Golf courses, outdoor tennis courts, marinas
- Carpooling
- Outdoor religious services
- Recreational fishing and hunting
- Post-secondary education and some cultural venues
- Offices
- Retail businesses
- Restaurants
- Campgrounds and outdoor recreational activities
- Daycare, childcare and day camps
- ATV trails
WorksafeNB has released guidelines for New Brunswick workplaces re-opening in a COVID-19 environment. That guide can be found here.
The Office of the Chief Medical Officer has published a guidance document of General Public Health Measures During COVID-19 Recovery.
Today’s news release can be found here. The updated State of Emergency declaration can be found here.
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In anticipation of the premier’s announcement, earlier this week we launched two new initiatives with a view to helping businesses and organizations through the re-opening process:
First, we created two new sections in our Open, Operational and Offering Help listing:
- Businesses that sell Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as masks, disposable gloves, etc.
- Businesses that sell Business Protective Products (BPP) such as plexiglass protection, signage, floor decals etc.
View the PPE and BPP listings to find out where you may obtain these products you may require for reopening your business.
If you sell PPE and/or BPP – add yourself to these new listings so businesses and organizations can easily find you. If you sell in both categories – be sure to list yourself twice. If you are already on our list – please submit an additional listing specifically for PPE and/or BPP.
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Second, in partnership with the chambers of commerce in Moncton and Saint John, we published a re-opening guide to help outline the main steps and points of consideration to comply with Public Health requirements.
For the English Guide click here.
For the French Guide click here.
If you are looking for an example of an Operational Plan, the chamber has posted ours here for your reference.
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To assist retailers in their reopening planning, Retail Council of Canada, in partnership with the Boston Consulting Group and retailers from across Canada, are leveraging global best practices for a diverse range of retail formats with the fundamental aim of ensuring a safe environment for employees and customers through their Recovery Playbook.
Dr. Sarah McRae of UNB, has developed COVID-19 guidelines for New Brunswick manufacturers available for download that outlines infection control practices, policies and considerations for operating during this pandemic. Dr McRae is hosting a virtual meeting to discuss the guide on 14 May 2020 at 11:00am click here to request an invitation.
On 11 May 2020 at 7:00pm, Martin David of Dunelm & Associates will outline specific challenges faced by New Brunswick manufacturers in a COVID-19 world. This webinar will be of particular interest to manufacturers and policymakers engaged in New Brunswick’s economic recovery.
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Today, Prime Minister Trudeau announced the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy program would continue past the original June end date. He said details will be available next week.
Resources regarding the federal wage subsidy program can be found on CRA’s Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy Web page including the Frequently asked questions – Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy and the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy application guide. The CRA also encourages employers who haven’t already done so to sign up for My Business Account or Represent a Client, as well as for Direct deposit. Resources at a glance:
- Frequently asked questions – Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy
- Contact the CRA – How to contact the CRA about the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy
- Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy Web page
- CRA’s Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy Calculator
- My Business Account
- Represent a Client
- Direct deposit
- Infographics
- Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy application guide
- Protect yourself against fraud
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This week we were made aware of an issue with electricity bills. During the past two months, in some cases, NB Power may have been estimating power usage for businesses with indoor meters. Several members have received higher-than-expected bills recently. They directly contacted the utility for a meter reading and bill adjustment. Today, NB Power sent out a message reading:
- “Once we’ve been able to perform a meter read, any adjustments required will be performed quickly. If you have any concerns about your last estimated bill, please contact us at 1 800 663-6272 and we will be happy to schedule a site visit and adjust the bill if required. Our business hours are Monday to Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Friday from 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. (excluding major holidays).”
- Read NB Power’s full message here.
Government of New Brunswick COVID-19 news releases since our last update:
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The Canadian Business Resilience Network, launched by Canadian Chamber of Commerce, has partnered with Molson Coors to organize a roundtable discussion titled Ensuring the Recovery and Resilience of Canada’s Food Service Sector that will bring together leaders in the food service industry to discuss the challenges and needs of the sector. Join Molson Coors Canada President Frederic Landtmeters, Boston Pizza President and CEO Jim Treliving, Firkin Group of Pubs President Larry Issacs and Canadian Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Perrin Beatty on May 12, 2020 at 2:30pm ET for this special roundtable. Register here.
The Government of New Brunswick has published a dedicated web page to help the agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries and processing sectors through the COVID-19 pandemic.
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As business in New Brunswick begin to plan to reopen, WorkingNB is hosting a virtual job fair on May 12 and 13. The event will be live both days from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The virtual career fair will be open to jobseekers and any companies or organizations now actively seeking employees. Businesses will find HR support services at the site and will be able to chat with job applicants. Job search tips and other resources will also be available.
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With the premier’s announcement today, many businesses will be planning to re-open soon. If you have posted information on our “Who’s Open” directory and would like to make changes, please send your edits to fchamber@frederictonchamber.ca. Please not that there may be a high volume of edit requests and we are working to add your edits as soon as we can. To view your current listing, visit our directory here.
If you haven’t yet checked out the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce’s Open, Operational and/or Offering Help business directory, now would be a great time to do so with the edition of our Personal Protective Equipment and Business Protective Products sections. And please continue to share, share, share so our community knows the services that are available! Nearly 500 businesses and organizations have listed their services, products and how you can access them including nearly 20 offering free services to assist you during this time!!
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You are receiving this message because you are on our email list. If you know other individuals or organizations that could benefit from our information, ask them to join our mailing list here. Of course, all daily emails are also available on our website by clicking here we are continuing to share them on our social media vehicles (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram).
We also still want to hear how the COVID-19 Crisis is affecting your business and any specific ways that the government can support you at this time. Contact either myself or our Policy & Research Manager, Morgan Peters to share information or ask questions.
kristar@frederictonchamber.ca / (506) 461-5165
advocacy@frederictonchamber.ca / (506) 470-5593
Sincerely,
Krista Ross, CEO, Fredericton Chamber of Commerce
