Author: Frank V

New York State is establishing phases for distribution based on federal guidance, and we are working closely with our government partners to make sure everyone who is eligible has access to the vaccine.

For information about who is currently eligible and where to get the vaccine, please visit the NYC Vaccine Command Center website.

Who is eligible?

Right now, the following New Yorkers are eligible to get the vaccine, with the full eligibility list available on the NYC Health Department website:

• Grocery store workers, including convenience store and bodega workers
• Restaurant and Restaurant Delivery workers
• Regional food bank workers
• Food pantry workers
• Permitted home-delivered meal program workers
• Hotel workers who have direct contact with guests
• And full list of eligible groups is online.

How to make an appointment?

Eligible New Yorkers can find vaccination sites and make an appointment online at vaccinefinder.nyc.gov or by calling 877-VAX-4NYC (1-877-829-4692).

People who are eligible based on their employment must attest that their job requires them to have in-person contact with members of the public or with co-workers, or that they are unable to work remotely.

They must also have proof of employment in New York, such as an employee ID card, a signed letter from their employer or affiliated organization, a recent pay stub (depending on specific priority status), or proof of work via an application (e.g., Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, etc.).

These documents will not be used as legal proof of your employment status, and they will not be collected. Their only purpose is to confirm eligibility for vaccination. Visit here for information about proof of eligibility.

On Wednesday, February 24, 2021 at 9 am ET, SBA will establish a 14-day, exclusive PPP loan application period for businesses and nonprofits with fewer than 20 employees. This will give lenders and community partners more time to work with the smallest businesses to submit their applications, while also ensuring that larger PPP-eligible businesses will still have plenty of time to apply for and receive support before the program expires on March 31, 2021.

SBA also announced four additional changes to open the PPP to more underserved small businesses than ever before. While these changes are being implemented, SBA will work with community partners to improve the emergency relief “digital front door” and conduct extensive stakeholder outreach. And, SBA will strengthen its relationships with lender partners to advance equity goals, deliver funding efficiently, and prevent fraud, waste, and abuse. SBA will:

• Allow sole proprietors, independent contractors, and self-employed individuals to receive more financial support by revising the PPP’s funding formula for these categories of applicants;
• Eliminate an exclusionary restriction on PPP access for small business owners with prior non-fraud felony convictions, consistent with a bipartisan congressional proposal; 
• Eliminate PPP access restrictions on small business owners who have struggled to make student loan payments by eliminating student loan debt delinquency as a disqualifier to participating in the PPP; and
• Ensure access for non-citizen small business owners who are lawful U.S. residents by clarifying that they may use Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) to apply for the PPP.
   

A critical goal from Congress for the latest round of PPP was to reach small and low- and moderate-income (LMI) businesses who have not received the needed relief a forgivable PPP loan provides. Congress set a $15B set-aside for small and LMI first draw borrowers. With existing policies, the current round has only deployed $2.4B to small LMI borrowers, in part because a disproportionate amount of funding in both wealthy and LMI areas is going to firms with more than 20 employees. The less than 20 exclusivity period combined with the changes to expand access for sole proprietors, ITINs, returning citizens, and student loan debt will help us achieve Congressional goals.
 

NYC restaurants and bars indoor seating will be allowed to increase to 35% of capacity effective Feb. 26. The rest of the state remains at 50%.

Governor Cuomo has announced that localities may add restaurant workers, taxi drivers, and those at facilities for the developmentally disabled to the Phase 1b vaccine prioritization group.