With no immediate end to the economic struggles brought about due to the pandemic, 81 businesses in Benton County are set to receive financial assistance from $55 million in federal CARES Act funding for Oregon.
The grants for Benton County were between $7,500 and $25,000, based on the number of people the business employed. Companies needed 16 to 25 employees for the latter amount.
Benton County received $1.25 million for the program.
The applications were accepted through December 13, and applications far exceeded capacity. Seasonal businesses and businesses that opened in 2020 were not eligible to apply. Those that applied had to show that business was down by 25% or more by showing their revenue for March through November compared to revenue during the same time in 2019.
Funds were disbursed using a two-phase lottery, with the first phase prioritizing businesses that fit criteria outlined by the Governor’s Office, and the second phase drawing from all other businesses that applied as well as ones from the first phase that weren’t selected.
In Vaccination News
Oregon’s coronavirus death toll is at 1,500 as of Sunday, Jan. 3. The state is behind 40 other states in the journey to getting residents vaccinated.
Oregon has given 48,725 vaccine shots since Dec. 11, but 141,000 shots have not been administered. This puts the state average of received but not administered vaccines at 75%, with the national average being 67% according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Oregon Health Authority and Gov. Kate Brown did not respond to a request for comment from The Oregonian/OregonLive on Sunday about the slow vaccine rate.
Leaders behind Operation Warp Speed, the government initiative to help deliver the vaccine, have said that the pace of vaccination should increase in the future.
By: Hannah Ramsey
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