Employees who are the most likely to contract the coronavirus, from first responders to bank tellers, are being recruited to take a free weekly COVID-19 test at home to help researchers at the University of Arizona study the virus. 

There鈥檚 little involved in participating but much at stake, said Professor Jefferey Burgess, Associate Dean for Research in the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health.

鈥淎ll of these essential employees — health care workers, first responders, corrections officers and other essential workers — work with either patients, the public or closely with each other, and therefore, if they鈥檙e infected, they need to know so they can protect their patients, their co-workers, the public and their families,鈥� said Burgess.

First study to test all workers who deal with public  

The testing is part of the Arizona Healthcare, Emergency Response, and Other Essential Workers Surveillance () project. It is funded with a $7.7 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and is in conjunction with the university鈥檚 statewide .

It is the largest CDC study of its kind with a target of 4,000 participants statewide, Burgess said, and the first to focus on all essential employees, not just first responders and healthcare workers. 

Project seeks to better understand immunity and reinfection

The goal is to better understand immunity and reinfection, Burgess said.

鈥淲e know a lot more than we used to but not answers to some very important questions like, if you get it once, will you get it again? And if you do, will it be the same as, worse or less severe than the first time?鈥� he said. 鈥淲e also want to know how long the duration of immunity lasts from when you get it the first time to when you get it the second time.鈥�

Among the project goals are to monitor how COVID-19 is impacting companies and help employers find the best protocols to reduce the spread. 

Employees who have tested positive or negative wanted

Essential employees who have tested either positive or negative for COVID-19 are encouraged to participate. Test results will be kept private, but any employees who test positive are encouraged to alert their employer and take appropriate precautions. 

Those who are accepted will do free at-home testing with nasal swabs once a week for nine months. They also will be given three antibody tests during that time.  

Call to businesses statewide 

Project officials are calling on businesses to inform employees about the project. Speakers are also available to make presentations to work groups. 

For anyone interested in participating there are three options to contact the project:

• Online at
• Through email AZHeroes@arizona.edu 
• By phone at (520) 848-4026

Employees who work with the public in these professions are needed for the study:

• Health care 
• First responders including corrections officers  
• Food service, agriculture  
• Public and other transportation services  
• Solid waste collection  
• Warehouse and delivery 
• Utilities  
• Government and community-based services 
• Childcare 
• Group homes, day programs and disability programs 
• IT professionals 
• Environmental services, facilities managers
• Educators
• Front-line financial workers like bank tellers
• Hospitality 

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Two months ago, Arizona and the rest of the country were mired in a backlog of hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 tests. 

Test results were taking weeks to process and laboratories and government officials were facing public criticism.

In Arizona, Dave Dexter, the president and CEO of Sonora Quest Laboratories, the largest diagnostic lab in the state, attended a meeting with state public health officials who asked for what seemed like the 鈥渋mpossible鈥�: The production of 60,000 COVID-19 tests a day.

鈥淚 had no idea how we could possibly get to 60,000 a day, so I went home and had what I call one of my white wine nights in my career — this is my 21st year as CEO and I have the battle scars to prove it,鈥� said Dexter, who to 小红帽直播app about the company鈥檚 sprint to place Arizona at the forefront of testing in the nation. 鈥淏ut through those experiences, I鈥檝e learned there鈥檚 always a solution and you just have to keep your brain open to different possibilities.鈥�

鈥淥peration Catapult鈥� was launched 

That night Dexter devised Operation Catapult to make it happen. 

Within 48 hours, he pulled together a $10 million deal with a 鈥渧erbal handshake鈥� with several partners including Banner Health, the largest hospital chain in the state, EuroImmun, a world leader in manufacturing medical diagnostic equipment, the Arizona Department of Health Services (DHS), and others. 

Everyone began working 24/7 to increase production of tests, said Dexter, who also serves as general manager of Quest Diagnostics, the world鈥檚 leading provider of diagnostic information services. Sonora Quest and its partners launched into a massive effort to purchase equipment, set up manufacturing lines and supply chains, hire 215 new employees, and take other measures to ramp up production of tests and test results. 

Arizona capacity now exceeds demand  

Within days, Sonora Quest had eliminated a 65,000-test backlog. By Aug. 4, its COVID-19 testing capacity exceeded demand, the only lab in the U.S. able to be able to make that claim, company officials said.

And as of Monday, it was providing test results for both antibody and COVID-19 tests within 48 hours, they said. 

With new manufacturing lines being put in place, Sonora Quest is on target to produce 60,000 tests a day by the end of August or soon after. That will help position the state for virus surges in the fall, Dexter said. 

鈥淲e鈥檒l make Arizona one of the most productive testing states — bar none — in the country,鈥� he said.

Employer solutions 

As testing stabilizes, Dexter is preparing to meet new milestones. 

One is the launch of a new Employer Solutions to help companies bring back employees safely. Among the services offered to employers will be: 

-Streamlined lab ordering

-Mobile diagnostic services for on-site testing and testing of homebound patients

-Greater access to testing statewide 

Next on the list: contact tracing, daily testing at nursing homes 

Dexter also wants to work with agencies that do contact tracing to help slow the spread of the virus. Contact tracing involves locating all of the people who have been in contact with a patient who tests positive for the virus so they can be quarantined if needed. 

Daily testing at skilled nursing facilities is another goal Dexter is advocating for. Earlier this year, Sonora Quest worked with the Arizona Department of Health Service to get residents and staff tested at all 147 skilled nursing facilities. More needs to be done, he said.  

鈥淚 have a passion for long term care and I think it鈥檚 underserved in many ways,鈥� he said.

Dexter said he and his team are waiting on guidance from state agencies and Banner Health to 

prioritize specific groups for testing, particularly for residents at long term care facilities, assisted living and other places where highly vulnerable citizens live. 

Finally, the question of education looms as another challenge, Dexter said. How to provide some form of testing for teachers and students, even if it involves targeting specific groups that are more at risk of spreading the virus. 

鈥淲hatever it takes in this pandemic, we have to find a way to serve all Arizonans.鈥�  

About Sonora Quest Laboratories

Sonora Quest, an independently run joint venture between Banner Health and Quest Diagnostics, is the nation鈥檚 largest integrated laboratory system with approximately 3,500 employees serving more than 26,000 patients every day across Arizona. Unlike national diagnostic laboratories, it provides a continuum of care for all sectors of the healthcare industry. As the market share leader in clinical laboratory testing in Arizona, it performs nearly 90 million diagnostic tests per year. 

To view its daily testing data, visit: .

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Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey released plans Thursday to distribute $98 million in grants to be used to provide small businesses with financial relief and support the child care sector. 

鈥淭his pandemic has forced Arizonans to make many sacrifices over recent months. These dollars are going where they can have an immediate impact 鈥� to help our families and businesses in need of support,鈥� said.

Eighty eight  million dollars of the grants comes courtesy of the , a sweeping federal relief package passed in March, while the other $10 million is derived from Arizona鈥檚 Crisis Contingency and Safety Net Fund.

Legislative backing

Arizona Senate President Karen Fann (R-Prescott) and House Speaker Rusty Bowers (R-Mesa) expressed support for the initiative, saying, 鈥淭oday鈥檚 announcement that $10 million in new grants will be distributed is a great step forward in providing much-needed relief, and it is exactly why the Legislature acted to establish the fund earlier this year.鈥�

The state鈥檚 House and Senate Republican Caucuses鈥� endorsement of the Governor鈥檚 announcement can be found .

Small business relief, partnership with Local First

The Governor鈥檚 Office announced the creation of the $10 million Arizona Small Business Rent and Mortgage Relief grant fund, from which the state government 鈥渢o help the most vulnerable businesses meet their financial obligations鈥� during the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing economic recession. 

鈥�…we want to continue to be there for all the small businesses that have given so much to our communities,鈥� Ducey . 鈥淢any businesses who received Paycheck Protection Program loans quickly expended their funds on payroll and utilities as the emergency extended beyond the funding window for the forgivable loans. The new Grant program will be available to grantees who may continue to face hardship despite leveraging other programs.鈥�

With a maximum grant size of $25,000, the state government is prepared to process applications and dole out much-needed financial assistance to small businesses in need. Furthermore, cities and municipalities may choose to expand the program at their convenience.

Partnering with Local First Arizona , 鈥淎rizona鈥檚 Voice for Small Businesses鈥�, the state is confident that the organization鈥檚 鈥済rant making鈥� and small business expertise鈥� will make it easier for small businesses to successfully apply for the grant program.

Beginning today, grant applications will become available to the public. For more information on the program and how to apply, visit Local First Arizona鈥檚 small business relief hub .

Small businesses employ half of American workers, and 56% of the jobs at risk due to the coronavirus outbreak are small businesses. 

In Arizona there are more than 550,000 small businesses. According to the Arizona Commerce Authority, these 550,000 businesses employ over 1 million Arizonans.

Distribution of funds, child care support

The Governor鈥檚 Office says that additional funds would be distributed as follows:

• Childcare COVID-19 Grant Program ($47m) — This grant is targeted towards 鈥渟alaries and benefits for employees, Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) licensing fees, liability insurance, tuition and registration relief for families, lease or mortgage payments, utilities, cleaning supplies, classroom materials and supplies, and additional needs required by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and ADHS guidelines鈥� that further the provision of 鈥渉igh-quality childcare鈥�.

• Arizona Enrichment Centers Program ($24m) — Investing $24 million in Arizona鈥檚 essential workers, the additional dollars being directed towards the Arizona Enrichment Centers Program will provide 鈥減riority childcare services and scholarships for first responders, health care workers, and other essential personnel鈥�.

• Increase Paid Absences ($7m) — By further funding the program, the state government will 鈥渋ncrease the allowance of keeping a student home from child care by three days, totaling five absences a month per child鈥�. Through extending the number of allowed absences, state officials hope to give parents and families the flexibility to keep children isolated in case of potential illness.

• Childcare Reserve ($10m) — A safety net, the Childcare Reserve program has been apportioned $10 million in order to address a potential 鈥渃hildcare subsidy waitlist that might develop in the fall due to the current economic climate and address other unforeseen child care providers鈥� needs that might arise鈥�.

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My daughter is returning to school next week after five months at home, and I鈥檓 not sure how I feel about it. I鈥檓 glad Arizona has given parents a choice in how to educate their children as we emerge from the COVID crisis, and I support parents who are exploring online and homeschool options to keep their children safe and on track with learning until they are comfortable going back on campus.

But the truth is that the choices facing parents of students with disabilities transcend school choice. We know that our children need the intellectual, therapeutic programs and skilled teachers that only can be delivered in person and at school, but we have no idea how that will work.

As I ironed out the details for my daughter鈥檚 transition to middle school with her special education teacher, I was overcome with appreciation for the time, attention, and detail the school has invested in preparing to support my daughter. She has Down Syndrome and has been fortunate to attend a school that prioritizes inclusion and has set high expectations for her. Even so, this will be a school year unlike any other.

Parents of children with disabilities are particularly challenged by school re-openings. They need their schools, but many will find their children returning to understaffed, underequipped and underfunded programs,. But their challenges don鈥檛 end there. Much of the state鈥檚 special education model is outdated and in desperate need of a revamp. Additional resources alone won鈥檛 solve the problem. As Arizona re-opens its classroom doors, it should also open the door for schools to reimagine education for students with disabilities.

RE-OPEN SCHOOLS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF ALL STUDENTS

Governor Doug Ducey and Superintendent Kathy Hoffman have allocated initial CARES Act funds to support school reopening plans, compensatory education for students with disabilities and student safety.  Encouragingly, they also have dedicated monies to support innovation. As the state鈥檚 guidance continues to evolve and as the Arizona Department of Education and the State Board for Charter Schools begin to review school re-opening plans, both the state and our schools should consider the following ways to address the needs of special education students:

1. Make special education a focal point in state and school reopening plans. Educators have long acknowledged that the strategies that work for special education students are best practices for all children. Now is the time to act on this knowledge to benefit all students.
2. Seek feedback from and provide support to families of students with disabilities. Our students need the experienced and dedicated professionals a school provides along with therapeutic support to boost learning and achievement. However, the reality is that remote learning for students with disabilities is, in fact, parent-facilitated learning. They need to be engaged and supported along every step.  
3. Prioritize inclusion. Schools must guard against increased isolation or segregation of students with disabilities in reopening plans. Inclusion in a digital environment certainly presents challenges, yet it is more important now than ever.
4. Address learning loss. The state鈥檚 digital learning plans require details on this year鈥檚 benchmark assessments and instructional methods, but schools also need to develop plans to accelerate learning and prevent achievement gaps from widening.
5. Balance local control with state support. Local decision-making has never been more important, but the state plays a crucial role in monitoring and evaluating school plan implementation. This monitoring should, clearly, not be for the purpose of compliance or enforcement but to identify trends and areas needing increased support and technical assistance.

SEIZING THE OPPORTUNITY TO REINVENT LEARNING

It has become glaringly obvious that students with disabilities have been disproportionately affected by the shutdown of our nation鈥檚 schools due to the COVID pandemic. Beyond the dilemma of ensuring device access and connectivity, schools are struggling to convert their special education programs and related services to an online environment.

This unprecedented challenge could present an unprecedented opportunity for Arizona to reboot its approach to special education. Rather than replicating existing models online and contemplating modifications and accommodations later, this is the time to flip the paradigm. Now is the time to empower school leaders to reinvent the design and delivery of special education services and supports, knowing that it will benefit all students.

Each state has the ability to distribute new sources of federal funding and provide guidance and flexibility to schools as they consider the best way to put students at the center of learning. As deliberations regarding additional federal funding continue, states can respectfully request that Congress preserves the flexibility for governors to prioritize their state鈥檚 needs and allocate funds to build a new comprehensive plan and unique, game-changing initiatives for students with disabilities.

As we rethink our approach to this upcoming school year, let鈥檚 start with our students with disabilities. Let鈥檚 make sure they are at the center of every school鈥檚 re-opening and let鈥檚 use those plans as the foundation for a new statewide approach to special education.

With additional federal relief funds Arizona could create something big, bold and transformational that will outlast this pandemic and change the trajectory for generations of students.

And that is exactly what all Arizona kids deserve.

Next: A Special Education Reboot

Karla Phillips-Krivickas is the Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy for KnowledgeWorks. She has over 20 years of national and state education policy experience in legislative, executive and non-profit leadership roles. As a mother of a child with a disability, Karla is channeling her experience and opportunities to passionately advocate for students with disabilities. She鈥檚 on Twitter at @azkarla. 

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The Arizona 小红帽直播app of Commerce & Industry and the Arizona Medical Association on Thursday launched Be Safe, Be Open AZ!, a campaign to promote the critical safety measures needed to slow the spread of the coronavirus and protect the state鈥檚 residents, employees, and healthcare heroes on the front lines of fighting the pandemic.  

The leaders of two of the state鈥檚 leading organizations representing business and physicians say the partnership unites their sectors in promoting health and safety best practices and in sharing messages that will help slow the spread of COVID.  

Glenn Hamer, president and CEO of the Arizona 小红帽直播app, says businesses are a critical partner in public health and are essential in promoting actions to protect Arizonans.  

鈥淚f we want to preserve the progress we鈥檝e made over the last several weeks and not backslide toward more infections and overstressed hospitals and risk more business closures, then we all have to adhere to heightened safety protocols,鈥� Hamer said. 鈥淭he Arizona business community is deeply invested in the health of its employees, its customers, and the public.鈥�  

The president of the Arizona Medical Association says Arizonans鈥� actions will be central to slowing the virus鈥� spread.

鈥淧revention is the most important thing we can do to slow the spread of COVID-19,鈥� said Dr. Ross Goldberg, president of ArMA. 鈥淭he data is clear: wearing a mask lowers the chance of spreading the virus. Arizona鈥檚 physicians and health care workforce are pleased to join with the business community in imploring Arizonans to be responsible and continue to wear a mask, which, when combined with physical distancing and other simple acts, can dramatically reduce the spread of this virus.鈥�  

Arizona has made progress in recent weeks and it is important that business and the public are implementing safety measures for the long haul, Hamer said.  

鈥淲e cannot take our foot off the gas, and we need to remind people that even when the number of positive cases declines, we can’t let up,鈥� Hamer said. 鈥淲e must double down on safety, especially as we approach our traditional flu season.鈥�  

How can businesses get involved?  

• Visit  
• Show your commitment to the safety of your customers and to all Arizonans by following the safety guidance including requiring use of face coverings in your place of business 
• Download and print a sign for your business signaling your commitment.  
• Take a picture of a sign on your business and post to social media using the hashtag #BeSafeBeOpenAZ 
• Support businesses that support safety! 

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Just months ago, Arizona was tops in job creation and business formation, driven by a decade of successful economic policy and capital investment that created new opportunities and bettered the lives of our residents. Today, many small businesses are on the brink of shuttering and families are fighting to stay afloat.  

Earlier this year business owners were afforded desperately needed federal assistance in the way of the Small Busines Administration鈥檚 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and grants. More than 80,000 Arizona businesses have received $8.5 billion in relief. Even if the program is extended, these businesses must remain viable in order to qualify for the loan forgiveness provisions that made the package helpful for protecting jobs.  

A big part of what that will require is liability reform. Just one lawsuit brought on by a COVID claim could wipe out any chance most businesses have for recovery.  

Americans want to return to work without the threat of an onslaught of frivolous lawsuits.鈥� But according to recent data, two-thirds of independent business owners and the barriers lawsuits might present to a full economic recovery. Dozens of this is a major issue.聽聽

Business owners by their very nature are creative thinkers, problem solvers and freedom lovers. In order to have a chance at real economic recovery, we don鈥檛 need government trying to do the job of the private sector. We need government to do its job to make sure the marketplace is fair and safe so America can get back to work.  

Reopening our economy will be a team sport. Employers need a clear roadmap as to what rules business must follow to mitigate risk. Consumers need direction in order to comply with those guidelines and protect themselves. Anyone acting in good faith to stop the spread of the virus and protect people in our communities as we work together to reopen deserves to be protected from opportunistic litigation. 

As Congress reconvenes, we are asking our leaders to support COVID-related liability reforms. Many states have already passed laws but there is no clear, cohesive universal standard. We need Congress to act to provide temporary and targeted relief from the threat of unwarranted legal action for hardworking Americans fighting to save their businesses, families and livelihoods.  

To be clear, we are not suggesting wholesale immunity from gross negligence or intentional acts on the part of business. What is needed is a legal safe harbor for those following current public health guidelines to the best of their ability.  

This is especially important in Arizona where small business represents more than 99% of all business in our state and about half of our state鈥檚 economic impact. More than one million Arizonans 鈥� over 40 percent 鈥� employed in the private workforce work for a small business.  

COVID liability reform is just as important for non-profits, government agencies, health care workers and educators. Health care workers want to focus on caring for patients and need their reserves for the herculean task of getting to the other side of this crisis. The strength, comfort and healing provided by churches and non-profits are needed now more than ever. Schools and colleges are eager to serve their students in the safest learning environment they can. They need to be able to direct dollars to modify classrooms, not pay for lawyers in courtrooms.  

Senate Republicans are proposing legislation that would put limited and commonsense reforms in place for the duration of the pandemic. There is bipartisan support for this effort, but it will take strong leadership and teamwork to get this done.  

Arizona has a long and proud tradition of working hard and working together. We may be challenged, but we remain undaunted in the effort to keep Arizonans strong and healthy. Coming together now to provide a bit more certainty for small businesses, families, and employees will make that mission a little easier.

Hon. Eileen Klein is the owner of Vive AZ, LLC, a small business based in Arizona. Her public service includes serving as the 35^th state treasurer of Arizona and chief of staff to Governor Janice K. Brewer. She is president emerita of the Arizona Board of Regents and a former member of the State Board of Education.

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With Congress eyeing the next Covid-19 economic relief package, Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs, R, held a wide ranging with the members of the Arizona 小红帽直播app of Commerce & Industry last Thursday about the elements the next bill is likely to contain.

At the outset of his remarks, Biggs stressed that the U.S. economy prior to the pandemic was in very strong shape and that it could return to a similarly good place.

鈥淥ne of the things that I think is important is that the economic foundation is still solid, we just have to have an opportunity to let it work and, if we do, then I think the foundation is there,鈥� Biggs said. 

Biggs is concerned, however, what the next relief package will mean for the country鈥檚 overall debt and deficit position.

鈥淲hen we had the robust economy, we had a trillion-dollar structural deficit already projected for this year,鈥� Biggs said. 鈥淎nd now that structural deficit is going to be north of $4 trillion, and could be as high as $8 trillion depending on whose bill comes out in the next couple of weeks.鈥�

Biggs said the country is facing a generational wealth transfer due to the trillions in dollars that have been deployed in the previous relief packages. 

鈥淚f you take the total national debt and compare it to our total gross domestic product, total economy, you start moving into a debt-to-revenue ratio that鈥檚 probably 110 to 112 percent, maybe even higher depending on who鈥檚 doing the calculating,鈥� Biggs said. 鈥淭hat is a dangerous, dangerous place to be, and so we start worrying about a sovereign debt crisis.鈥�

Extended enhanced unemployment benefit

A bill backed by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi would extend the $600 enhanced unemployment benefit that supplements state-level unemployment payments, something Biggs says worries him for the way it could delay Americans鈥� return to work. 

鈥淚 get from a lot of businesses when I talk to them, they say, 鈥楶lease, end that, because we can bring back employees. They don鈥檛 want to come back because they鈥檙e getting a $600 bonus on a weekly basis from the feds.鈥欌�� Biggs said. 鈥�(Pelosi鈥檚) package would take that into next spring and, actually, in some instances increase that unemployment package.鈥�

Liability protections a priority

Biggs says ensuring Congress adopts a liability protection bill for businesses remains a priority issue for him.

鈥淥ne of the things we鈥檝e tried to convey to the Senate is please don鈥檛 trade off $2 trillion of debt for a weak-sauce liability protection,鈥� Biggs said. 

The East Valley congressman says he鈥檚 spoken with senators who agree with him and he says that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is also committed to adoption of a liability protection bill. Biggs says what form such a bill takes will likely depend on what emerges from negotiations over the next Covid relief package.

Payroll tax relief 

Biggs says he agrees with the Trump administration and economists who believe that a payroll tax relief policy designed to help employers retain employees would continue to have a helpful stimulative effect on the U.S. economy and can be accomplished with manageable costs. 

Direct payments

Biggs breaks with the White House, however, on whether to issue another round of direct payments to Americans. 

Biggs says he would like to know whether data exists to indicate whether a previous round of payments was successful. 

鈥淚 have to ask those questions and find out as we look at this,鈥� Biggs said.

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If you are in charge of one of the nearly 5 million American companies that has received funds as part of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) or you are still planning to apply for a PPP loan, it鈥檚 important to be aware of the significant updates and changes to the program that come as part of the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act (PPPFA), signed into law on June 5, 2020.

• First of all, if you are interested in applying for PPP funds and have not yet done so, new applications are being accepted again as of July 6, 2020, through August 8, 2020.
• Loan recipients now have 24 weeks instead of 8 to spend loan proceeds and still be eligible for forgiveness.
  • While this period has been extended, recipients are still able to apply for forgiveness starting at 8 weeks after receipt of funds.
• PPP proceeds are still calculated off of your business鈥檚 payroll expenditure and, as before, the funds are intended to be applied primarily to your payroll to, although the qualification for forgiveness has been reduced from 75% of funds spent on payroll to 60%.
  • Eligible expenses for the remaining portion of the loan remain the same (rent, mortgage interest, utilities); however, a new requirement that comes as part of PPPFA is that if 60% or less of the loan is spent on payroll, none of the loan will be eligible for forgiveness, and will revert to the repayment terms, below.
• The portion of the loan that is not eligible for forgiveness will still be subject to a 1% interest rate, but the repayment term for loans issued after June 5, 2020 has been increased from two to five years. Loans issued prior to June 5, 2020, will still have a maturity of two years, although borrowers and lenders may mutually agree to modify the maturity terms to conform with the PPPFA.
• Additionally, the deferral period for PPP loan repayment has been increased to six months after the SBA makes their forgiveness determination.
  • Currently, your PPP lender has 60 days to make their initial forgiveness determination, after which point the SBA has an additional 90 days to accept or adjust the lender鈥檚 determination. It鈥檚 only after this point that the 6-month deferral begins.
• PPPFA also extended the deadline to rehire workers and still have their salaries qualify for forgiveness, from June 30, 2020 to December 31, 2020. It also introduced a couple exceptions to this requirement, although it鈥檚 worth noting that documentation will need to be provided to demonstrate that good-faith, written offers to rehire workers were declined.
  • The exemptions include the inability to rehire a similarly qualified employee prior to the deadline OR an inability to return to the same level of business activity as prior to February 15, 2020 due to compliance with COVID-related restrictions.

As guidelines are regularly being clarified, for the most up-to-date guidance on PPP expectations/best practices borrowers should reach out to their lenders.

Mark Khazanovich is the director of operations at KORE Accounting Solutions, a future-focused management accounting firm specializing in providing legal professionals and business owners with the data and insights they need to stay compliant and run more profitable businesses.

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Executives from three of the world鈥檚 largest biopharmaceutical research and manufacturing companies said Wednesday that they are racing hand-in-hand to get a viable vaccine for COVID-19 out to the world by next year. 

They all said there has been 鈥渦nprecedented鈥� international cooperation to develop a vaccine. They also explained why it could come sooner than any other in history. 

鈥淲e want to have more than one vaccine. We want to have several vaccines that are approved so there are options and there are opportunities for everyone around the world to get vaccinated,鈥� said Joaquin Duato, vice chairman of the Executive Committee for Johnson & Johnson. 

Duato was joined by the chairman and CEO of Pfizer, Albert Bourla, and the CEO of Sanofi, Paul Hudson, who spoke during a virtual town hall Wednesday to update the world on their progress. 

The forum was hosted by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), which represents America鈥檚 leading biopharmaceutical research companies.

Of the 1,227 active clinical trials underway to fight the coronavirus, almost half — 47 percent — are using PhRMA member products, said Stephen Ubl, president and chief executive of PhRMA who moderated the event. Of those, there are in clinical trials and 135 vaccines in clinical studies. 

Optimism about having a vaccine by 2021

At the town hall, the executives said their companies are working 鈥�24/7鈥� to find treatments and vaccines for the coronavirus. They鈥檙e moving to human clinical trials as early as this month. 

Everything has been moving at breakneck speed to find a solution, Hudson said. In a matter of months, the international community has mobilized an effort that normally would take 10 years.  

鈥淲e鈥檙e now going again to set new records in less than a year,鈥� Hudson said.  

The executives are optimistic their companies can create a viable vaccine, or at the least, more treatments to aid patients鈥� recovery by next year. A number of therapies are promising including anticoagulants, fusion proteins and antibodies. 

In the meantime, the companies are preparing to or have submitted approval from regulatory agencies like the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) to manufacture hundreds of millions, and possibly billions of doses, ahead of time to prepare for the hope that one or more of the human clinical trials will succeed.     

They emphasized four key points:

Affordability for all

All three company executives stated emphatically that their mission is to put patients鈥� health first. That means the vaccine must be affordable and available for all, in both developed and developing nations. 

鈥淲e are committed to provide a vaccine for emergency pandemic use and on a not-for-profit basis to make sure price is not a barrier for anybody,鈥欌�� Duato said.

If patients and communities can be taken care of, then shareholder profits and economies will follow, he said. 

A vaccine can be developed more quickly today  

There are a number of factors helping their mission move at record speed, they said.

One is the unprecedented sharing of research and results. The industry is expanding and sharing vast global libraries to try to repurpose existing therapies and develop new ones.

鈥淭here are multiple vaccines out there. I wish success to all of them,鈥� Bourla said. 鈥淭his is not a competition among us. This is a competition against the virus.鈥� 

New vaccine platform technologies is another reason companies are able to move at a faster pace. They can utilize the same building blocks to make different vaccines, and have proven particularly useful in vaccines that utilize genetic DNA and RNA. 

Finally, the government is also setting a precedent to speed up the process. The FDA released new June 30 to fast track treatments that are proven safe in trials. 

President Donald Trump鈥檚 newaims to deliver 300 million doses of a safe, effective vaccine by January as part of the strategy to accelerate the development, manufacturing, and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics. 

Major public and private agencies, as well as public funding, are contributing to the effort.  

Clinical trials to include adults, diverse groups 

As the companies begin human clinical trials this month, testing and development of a vaccine will pull from diverse populations for clinical trial participants, including people of color, the elderly and people with underlying conditions. Clinical trials are now signing up participants, both with and without the virus. 

Once a vaccine is approved, the FDA and other regulatory bodies will determine who receives it first. It likely will appear in batches to be distributed to front-line health care workers and those at highest risk including the elderly and people with underlying conditions.

Centuries of experience should pay off 

With hundreds of years of experience, a vast amount of resources between the three corporations, there is hope one can succeed.  

鈥淲e have a significant amount of resources in science and manufacturing,鈥� Bourla said. 鈥淚f we put it to work, we can find a solution. If not us, who?鈥� 

Biopharma supports 120,000 high wage manufacturing jobs

In Arizona, the biopharma industry is a major contributor to the economy with an estimated annual impact of around $9.1 billion. Since 2000, member companies of PhRMA have invested more than half a trillion dollars in the search for new treatments and cures, including an estimated $58.8 billion in 2015 alone, according to PhRMA.

Across the U.S., the biopharmaceutical sector directly employs more than 854,000 Americans, and invests more than $90 billion in research and development every year — more than any other industry in America. 

Because of its large supply chain, the biopharmaceutical industry supports more than 4 million jobs across the U.S. 

It also is becoming a larger force in manufacturing, according to PhRMA.The industry supports nearly 120,000 high-wage manufacturing jobs. In 2017, wages for biopharmaceutical manufacturing jobs were 72 percent greater than the average wage for all U.S. manufacturing jobs.

To read more about PhRMA and its members, go to: .

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Millions of independent restaurant owners and employees displaced or struggling because of the pandemic could soon see relief through federal legislation that specifically targets them for help. 

A bipartisan bill introduced in both houses of Congress last month called the RESTAURANTS Act 2020 would provide $120 billion in grants to assist restaurateurs to rehire workers and for other operating expenses. 

Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, a Democrat, is the lead Senate sponsor along with Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker, a Republican.

Their goal is to preserve independent and small franchise operators like the corner cafe, the tamale store, the neighborhood bar. 

鈥淭he introduction of this bill provides hope of survival for small business restaurant owners from the smallest towns to the broadest urban streets. It will help these struggling businesses who are still facing a difficult and uncertain future,鈥� Sean Kennedy, executive vice president of public affairs for the National Restaurant Association said when the bill was introduced. 

Millions of restaurant workers remain jobless 

The pandemic has been particularly hard on independent food and drinking establishments. Even with inside dining now allowed in many states, customers continue to be wary and social distancing guidelines limit the ability to turn a profit, Kennedy said. 

And while U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that hiring kicked up significantly in June, with food and drinking establishments adding 1.5 million jobs, more than 3 million restaurant workers still remain jobless. 

Arizona mom and pops facing 鈥渄evastation鈥�

In Arizona, independent operators are among those struggling to survive — if they haven鈥檛 already closed shop, said Steve Chucri, president and CEO of the Arizona Restaurant Association (ARA), which represents the industry that had $14.7 billion in sales in 2018. 

鈥淚n Arizona, the economic fallout has been devastating,鈥� said Chucri, adding that Arizona restaurants lost roughly $29 million a day during the peak of the virus, and a total $815 million in April.

Before the pandemic, the industry employed 310,600 people, representing 11 percent of Arizona鈥檚 workforce, he said. 

A survey released last month by the ARA showed that, among restaurants still in operation, 89 percent have laid off or furloughed employees during the pandemic. 

On average, establishments are reporting a 63 percent decline in sales during the period from May 1 to May 15, according to the survey. 

Without a relief package, 72 percent of restaurant operators said it is 鈥渦nlikely鈥� that their restaurant will be profitable within the next six months.

Strong bipartisan, bicameral support   

There is strong bipartisan, bicameral support for the measure.

Representatives Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore. and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., introduced the House counterpart to the Senate version introduced by Sinema and Wicker. 

鈥淎rizona restaurants fuel jobs across our state, and they need support now. Establishing a Restaurant Revitalization Fund will help get Arizonans back to work and ensure our local Arizona restaurants can keep their doors open as we continue to fight the ongoing coronavirus pandemic,鈥� Sinema said. 

What the restaurant bill does  

The RESTAURANTS Act, which stands for the Real Economic Support That Acknowledges Unique Restaurant Assistance Needed to Survive Act of 2020, would establish a $120 billion revitalization fund through the U.S. Department of Treasury. 

Among the measures :  

• Funding would be available to food service or drinking establishments that are not publicly traded or part of a chain with 20 or more locations doing business under the same name
• Eligible expenses include: payroll, benefits, mortgage, rent, utilities, maintenance, supplies including protective equipment and cleaning materials, food, debt obligations to suppliers, and other costs
• The first 14 days of the grant’s opening would only be available to restaurants with annual revenues of $1.5 million or fewer, ensuring that the smallest restaurants are prioritized
• The grant values would cover the difference between revenues from 2019 and projected revenues through 2020 
• The legislation includes administrative funding toward outreach and engagement to restaurants owned and operated by women, veterans, and people of color. 

A study on this proposal found that the fund would generate at least $183 billion in primary benefits and $65 billion in secondary benefits — more than double the amount of the fund.

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