To our members: 

Wednesday was a busy day for government updates to our collective fight to reduce COVID cases in Santa Clara County.

First, Santa Clara County Public Health officials announced the county still has too many COVID cases and will extend its mandatory mask requirement indoors beyond the state’s Feb. 15 deadline.  The county hopes to lift indoor masking requirements “in a matter of weeks” as case rates continue to decline.

Secondly, Gov. Gavin Newsom extended COVID-19 related paid sick leave benefits to workers employed by businesses with more than 25 employees, effective Feb. 19 and retroactive to Jan. 1, through Sept. 30, 2022 (SB 114).  The benefit gives 40 hours off for employees who were exposed or contracted the virus and provides an additional 40 hours if a positive test is provided.  An additional 24 hours of paid time off is afforded for those taking the vaccine and recovering from vaccine-related symptoms.

Newsom also announced an additional $6.1 billion in tax credits, grants and other relief for small businesses, including nearly $500 million in tax cuts for restaurants and shuttered venues and $5.5 billion in restored tax deductions and tax credits to spur innovation. (SB 113).

Thankfully, we’re seeing more downtown activity the past week.  Hopefully you are, too, and are part of the reason.  Please shop local, eat local, entertain local . . . your money will go further right now than at any time during the pandemic to help sustain our businesses.

• COVID updates:  More masking in Santa Clara County; State extends sick leave
• Meetings - Watch SJDA’s PBID Renewal Meeting for detailed answers
• Recovery Task Force and Mayor's Budget Session both meeting today; City Council meetings online for now; City transportation survey online
• Financial opportunity -  Water for low-income people
• Events:  Winter Jazzfest; Future of Downtown; Enter your Short Film into local contest
• Downtown and Silicon Valley in the News

The County previously announced metrics for lifting local masking requirements in October.  Today, the County Public Health Department announced that it had updated its prior metrics, which were adopted when the Delta variant was circulating in the community, to reflect the fact that the current Omicron variant poses less risk of severe illness and hospitalization than Delta. Specifically, the County’s prior metrics required that the 7-day average of new cases be about 150 or below based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “moderate” criteria.  The updated metrics allow indoor masking requirements to be lifted when the County’s 7-day average of new cases is 550 or below for at least a week.  Read More.

​​Governor signs paid sick leave extension and expanded relief package for small businesses
Governor Newsom signed legislation extending COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave for workers, and early budget action to provide an additional $6.1 billion in tax relief, tax credits and direct grants for small businesses hit hard by the pandemic, bolstering the state’s historic COVID relief efforts and investing in California’s iconic entrepreneurial economy.

Employees continue to have access to up to 80 hours of COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave through Sept. 30, 2022, which may be used by employees who have been advised to quarantine, those caring for COVID-impacted family members, attending a COVID-19 vaccination appointment, and more. Small businesses employing 25 or fewer workers are exempt from the legislation, which is retroactive to sick leave taken beginning January 1, 2022.

Building on last year’s support for small businesses impacted by the pandemic — including $6.2 billion in tax relief for small businesses that received Paycheck Protection Program loans — Governor Newsom today signed SB 113 to provide an additional $6.1 billion in tax relief, tax credits and direct grants to the hardest hit businesses. SB 113 includes provisions that:

• Provide a nearly $500 million tax cut for restaurants and venues:  By conforming state tax policy for the federal Restaurant Revitalization Fund and federal Shuttered Venue Operators grant programs, grants received by such businesses will not be considered taxable by the state – translating into a tax cut totaling nearly $500 million over the coming years.
• Restore $5.5 billion in tax credits and deductions for California businesses: By restoring business tax credits, including for research and development and the net operating loss deduction for businesses one year early, the near-term benefit for such businesses is estimated to reach $5.5 billion.
• Invest $150 million in COVID-19 relief grants for California’s small businesses: SB 113 invests an additional $150 million in California’s Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program to fund applicants on the waitlist – the program has provided grants of up to $25,000 for small businesses impacted by the pandemic.