Barrie Chamber of Commerce president Todd Tuckey says he's optimistic the COVID-19 outbreak will pass if everyone works together and follows the rules.
But in the meantime, people also need to know what they can do to help themselves, such as business loans, and their employees, through Employment Insurance (EI).
"People are certainly concerned with what's going on and the state of things out there," Tuckey told BarrieToday this afternoon. "The chamber has been sharing stuff as quickly as it comes out in regards to how businesses can get their employees listed right away for EI, so they quality for the benefit and what they qualify for."
The chamber is sharing more information for its members from the Business Development Bank of Canada, where small businesses can apply online for a loan of up to $100,000. Any businesses that require more money can apply for up to $2 million, Tuckey said.
"This is money that's been freed up by the government to get through these trying times," he said, adding members should take a close look at what's available. "At least engage and find out what you can so you'll be able to sleep at night."
The chamber, which represents around 1,000 businesses and approximately 18,000 people in the region, has also been sharing information from banks about deferring payments related to mortgages, credit cards and lines of credit, which Tuckey hopes will give people some peace of mind.
"It's not all doom and gloom," he said. "Things will get back to normal, but in the meantime, the government has put a lot of things in place to help every single individual out there, even those who wouldn't normally qualify for EI during these unique circumstances."
Looking at an area like Wuhan, China, which was the epicentre of the COVID-19 outbreak, things have slowly started to open up, such as public transit and parks, as fewer and fewer cases are reported, Tuckey said.
"They're quite confident that the worst of it is behind them," he said. "If we look at that from our perspective here in Canada, there's basically a three-month window. It was the end of December when they had their first official case and they had no idea what they were up against. Fortunately for us, we've been able to watch from the sidelines and see what we need to do."
Tuckey stressed that people follow the advice being offered by public health officials, such as regular hand washing and social distancing.
"When you go to the grocery store, if you have to go, send one member of your family. Don't pack the whole car up and take everybody," he said. "If people stop moving around and stop engaging each other, we can stop this. We can certainly limit the amount of new cases."
Health officials are expecting a surge in cases this week and next.
Tuckey said snow birds coming back to Canada may be out stocking up on groceries, when they should have someone else do it for them while they self-isolate for 14 days, as recommended.
"It's not OK," he said. "If you know somebody who's on their way home, reach out to them and let them know you can go and get their groceries and leave them at their front door. But please don't go out. Go straight home."
The province also released a list of essential services, which took effect at midnight Tuesday. The Barrie chamber website includes a resource page for businesses, which is available by clicking here.
Tuckey says he's looking for more information on that front.
"It hasn't been completely clarified," he said. "We have a few industries here in Barrie that have reached out directly to the chamber this morning saying they're not sure if they can be open or not."
Tuckey said the first question to them is what do they do and would be it deemed essential, particularly in the manufacturing sector. If they're better off sending their staff home, that's the right course of action.
"If people could stay home for two weeks, I wouldn't say eliminate this thing, but we could certainly put an awful hold on it," he said, while also urging business owners to have their staff wear personal protective equipment (PPE), regardless of how closely they'll be working with others.
Tuckey says he's impressed by how different levels of government have been working together throughout the pandemic.
"Closing the borders, asking people for social distancing, limiting visits to grocery stores; I think people are listening to what the government's saying," he said. "They're looking for the government to lead on this, because it is brand new to everyone.
"I have to put kudos out to all three levels for keeping people informed and staying on top of this as much as they can with the limited knowledge that they do have," Tuckey added.
The Barrie chamber's social-media platforms and website include links to help employees file for EI; p businesses know where to go for financial assistance; Zoom seminars with lawyers and health-care professionals, as well as MPs and MPPs; links on what banks and other financial institutions are doing to help businesses and individuals with deferring mortgage payments, credit card payments, lines of credit etc.
