COVID-19 Response & Resource Network

March 19, 2020

A Message from Bay Area Council CEO Jim Wunderman

We are in a period of tremendous anxiety and uncertainty that has dramatically altered how we are managing our lives, our businesses and our work. Everyone is affected. While we can’t predict what is going to happen in the coming days, weeks and months, we know from past experience that the Bay Area is resilient and strong in the face of such adversity. We come together, we help each other, and we prevail.

This time is no different, and it’s because of organizations like ours that we again will overcome the challenges ahead. For 75 years, the Bay Area Council has embraced its mission and role as the steward of this great region. With your continuing support and help, we will again prevail and come out stronger.

What We’re Doing

The Bay Area Council is working furiously to provide steady leadership during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Read more about what we’re doing>>

We are reaching out to our members, to state and local officials and others to gather and share the latest information on how best to deal with and adapt to this crisis.
We are launching a series of webinars covering a range of public health and business continuity topics to help members plan for the future and navigate changes already taking place.
We are transitioning to virtual meetings for all of our policy committee and other meetings. We are also assessing the need to cancel or postpone other meetings, as necessary.
We are facilitating the purchase and delivery of badly needed medical supplies from our partners in China.
Through our Economic Institute, we are researching the economic impacts on the Bay Area stemming from COVID-19.
We are partnering with other organizations to advocate for state and federal emergency funding to increase services for the homeless and other vulnerable populations and blunt the impacts on public transportation systems from reduced ridership and other revenue.
We are continuing to advance our regular policy priorities in housing, transportation, homelessness, workforce and climate resilience, among others.

Send Us Your Questions, Concerns, Issues

We want to help you and your company navigate the uncertainty we’re facing. If you have questions about what various government orders and restrictions mean for your business, let us know and we’ll do our best to get answers. We also would enjoy hearing what things you and your company are doing to maintain business continuity. Your experience and learnings can be help inform others on how best to move forward and adapt and adjust. Please contact us with your questions, concerns and success stories by emailing covid-19@bayareacouncil.org.

What Our Members Are Doing

Citi: On March 19, #Citi Foundation announced a $15 million commitment to support #COVID19 related relief activities globally. This is a first step that Citi is taking to respond to the global crisis & will continue to support longer-term recovery efforts. www.safeway.com. The Safeway Foundation has launched an in-store fundraising campaign to help keep food accessible to local families impacted by COVID-19 crisis. Donations collected at the check stands will be used to provide meals to school children, seniors and others financially impacted during this time. Proceeds will benefit food banks and hunger relief programs. special program that includes a pre-selected bag of grocery staples at a discounted price. This bag can be picked up in-store by a caregiver or friend. Details will soon be available online and in-store. To support those who were already food insecure, we continue our work with local food banks to provide a steady supply of staples. This is especially important now for children who no longer have access to school provided meals. We encourage customers to donate generously to Raley’s foundation, Food for Families. Raley’s is also working with other business partners such as hotel and restaurants to provide their temporarily displaced employees an opportunity at Raley’s. In the coming days we expect to add several hundred new jobs for an initial period of 30 days. > (opens in a new tab)” rel=”noreferrer noopener” href=”https://plantfs.com/” target=”_blank”>Learn more>>
Sobrato Philanthropies is launching a Sobrato Rapid Response Fund to address the program, financial, and capacity needs of Sobrato grantees as they respond to the COVID-19 crisis. They will learn from community partners as the situation develops to ensure they are supporting grantees in the most meaningful ways. In the first round of funding, priority will be given to grantees who have emergency, urgent requirements to serve the needs of low-income populations, and those with immediate cash flow challenges due to the crisis response. free resource on their website for anyone who is looking for tax, operational management, etc. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act, passed by Congress on March 27 and signed into law by the President offers a number of significant tax relief provisions as well as cash payments to some individuals. The goal of the legislation is to provide individuals, businesses owners, and businesses with access to cash and reduced taxes in response to financial disruptions caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. > (opens in a new tab)” rel=”noreferrer noopener” href=”https://www.lhh.com/us/en/organizations/our-insights/COVID-19-resource-hub” target=”_blank”>Learn more>>
Lyft has made several critical updates to ensure that riders and drivers can protect themselves and others when sharing a ride. They’re also implementing new initiatives to provide essential services to vulnerable populations and giving drivers more opportunities to earn income through the Lyft app. offering three months of free online classes to all California college, community college and high school students impacted by COVID-19. California college students may take up to three classes for all NU asynchronous online programs in April, May, and June 2020. California high school students may take up to three online classes offered by NUVHS in April, May, and June 2020. National University’s goal is to help students stay on track to graduation and protect the health of our communities during this trying time. > (opens in a new tab)” rel=”noreferrer noopener” href=”https://stanfordhealthcare.org/stanford-health-care-now/2020/novel-coronavirus/covid-19-supply-donation-guidelines.html” target=”_blank”>Learn more>>
Reed Smith LLP has developed a COVID-19 Resource Center for Need-to-Know Business & Legal Issues. Read here for the firm’s expertise on a wide range of issues, and contact David Weiss at dweiss@reedsmith.com to be connected with the right expert. In response to the CARES Act, Reed Smith has put together a CARES Act Overview document and has launched a multidisciplinary CARES Task Force that can answer questions related to issues including but not limited to SBA lending, consumer protection, tax, life sciences and health care, employment, employee benefits, and bankruptcy and restructuring. $800+ million to support for small businesses and COVID-19 crisis response, which includes ad grants to the World Health Organization (WHO), investment funds supporting NGOs, $340 million in Google Ad credits available to all SMBs, and more. They also launched a nationwide website in the U.S. as well as an expanded Google search experience for COVID-19. People can find state-based information, safety and prevention tips, search trends related to COVID-19, and further resources for individuals, educators and businesses. Learn more>>
Pearson announced that it made an array of digital learning tools, services and resources available to students, educators and parents affected by COVID-19 closures worldwide. In the US, Pearson is providing free K12 online courseware, teaching platform, and training for 100,000 students, for state-level partners of Connections Academy. Also, for higher education students in the US, UK and Canada, Pearson is providing access to the full e-book library for the rest of the term at no additional cost, as well as free on-demand webinars, office hours with Pearson digital learning experts, and tip sheets for higher education faculty who need help transitioning to online courses. For those listed as Essential Critical Workers who need licensure or certification in high-need medical fields, Pearson VUE is focusing testing opportunities in California and other states to help respond to this crisis. Learn more>>
Baker Botts L.L.P. has formed a COVID-19 Crisis Response Group, corresponding COVID-19 Resource Center, and COVID-19 Resource Guide for Individuals to help address the needs of their clients and friends affected by the global health crisis and resulting business downturn and economic distress. The firm’s legal updates and business impact guidance draw from the experience of a multi-disciplinary group of attorneys and practitioners, and include guidance on CARES Act/Paycheck Protection Program, crisis response, cybersecurity/data privacy, force majeure clauses, human resources and benefits issues, key personnel/leadership succession considerations, intellectual property, real estate, renewable energy, potential impact on SEC disclosures for public companies, tax issues, and other legal issues. You can also contact Pat Stanton, Partner In Charge, San Francisco office at pat.stanton@bakerbotts.com to be connected with specific Baker Botts attorneys locally and across the firm. Learn more>>
JPMorgan Chase announced a $50 million global philanthropic commitment, including $1 million to local Bay Area nonprofits ICA Fund Good Jobs and ASIAN Inc., to provide liquidity and support services to vulnerable small businesses, including minority-owned small businesses. Many of these businesses are either unlikely to qualify for a traditional SBA loan or desperately need a short-term bridge until SBA funds are available. The firm has been supporting customers, small businesses, mid-size companies, state and local governments, and large corporations with things like delaying payments or increasing lines of credit, and has also put in place a blanket moratorium on home foreclosures and evictions, auto repossessions and collections litigation actions. Learn more>>
Wells Fargo is taking a number of important actions to help their employees, customers and communities being hit hard by the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Beginning Wednesday (April 15), Wells Fargo will cash stimulus payment checks for non-customers in their branches, with no fees charged. In addition, for 30 days, they will pause the collection of negative balances existing at the time when stimulus payments are deposited, allowing customers to access the full amount of their payment. They are suspending residential property foreclosure sales, evictions, and involuntary automobile repossessions. On a case-by-case basis, they are offering fee waivers, payment deferrals, and other expanded assistance for credit card, auto, mortgage, small business, and personal lending customers who contact the bank. To support workers, they are providing cash payments of up to $1,600 to front-line employees and expanding benefits to assist impacted employees. Additionally, to support local communities, Wells Fargo is participating in the Paycheck Protection Program, providing loans to qualified small businesses through the Small Business Association. They are also donating $175 million to support economic recovery for communities, small businesses, and vulnerable populations affected by COVID-19. Learn more>>
Bird is helping the Red Cross deliver much-needed food and aid in hard-hit Italy. Volunteers have been equipped with a donated fleet of Bird electric scooters to enable easier transportation around urban neighborhoods. The micro-mobility vehicles are being used to help deliver food and medical supplies as well as facilitating check-ins on vulnerable members of the community. > (opens in a new tab)” rel=”noreferrer noopener” href=”https://www.bird.co/blog/bird-local-heroes-program-honors-those-essential-services/” target=”_blank”>Learn more>>
Oliver Wyman is putting forth their perspectives to support clients and the industries they serve around the world. The Pandemic Navigator drills down into county by county predictive analysis that reveals where containment and suppression efforts are working, including first peaks and post-first-peak trajectories on a regional basis. The COVID-19 Primer provides the latest status from an epidemiologic perspective and the key scenarios that can play out over time. In partnership with the California Department of Aging, Oliver Wyman developed a special activity guide to help seniors stay socially engaged while remaining physically distant during the pandemic. > (opens in a new tab)” rel=”noreferrer noopener” href=”https://medium.com/aurora-blog/accelerating-our-business-in-new-ways-58baf84528c1″ target=”_blank”>Learn more>>
The University of California: At the onset of the pandemic, the University of California (UC) took swift action to protect its 285,000 students and 227,000 faculty, researchers and staff from COVID-19. Researchers across the University of California and associated health centers are now engaged in more than 300 research initiatives designed to combat COVID-19, on developing treatments and a vaccine. Five of their health centers are pursuing clinical trials testing the safety and efficacy of a range of drugs approved for other conditions that may be effective for COVID-19. A new public-private consortium that includes UC San Diego and the UC-affiliated Lawrence Livermore and Los Alamos National Laboratories is using supercomputers to answer questions about the virus in hours or days, rather than weeks or months. A team of researchers at UC Riverside joined with partners to map a key protein that may aid in the development of a COVID-19 vaccine. UC Berkeley launched a new online video series, Berkeley Conversations: Covid-19 to connect leading experts with the public they serve, and each other. Other UC experts are studying everything from coronavirus mutations, infection prevention and community mobilization to the regulatory, policy and economic implications of this virus. Campuses and UC Medical Centers have been serving California communities by housing first responders, hosting blood drives and developing and administering new diagnostic tests to detect who has contracted the virus and may need treatment. And the five medical centers are treating COVID-19 patients and have invested in adding new beds and clinical staff to prepare for a possible surge in patients. used by employers of any size to manage a safer, more efficient workplace commute. Hytch documents a customizable daily commuter wellness pledge, offering employers a CCPA compliant method and resource to help trace workplace related mobility in any mode, alone or shared. For employees, it’s a convenient and private electronic mobility diary with a carbon zero commute as the reward for every mile. Bay Area Council member companies get up to five hyper specific reward conditions that they define, tied to their factory, office or work site. Using the scale tested Hytch platform to deliver micro cash incentives as the nudge for participation, this also compensates users for qualified trip data. Learn more>>
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP has a multidisciplinary COVID-19 Task Force that is closely monitoring the global threat of COVID-19, including the economic impact of the pandemic. The task force provides clients with guidance on reopening and remote work, financial strategies and government stimulus programs, disputes of all kinds and government investigations, and the transformation across industries of business models, workplace norms, technologies, and public policy. Learn more>>
Instacart invites friends, family, consumers and employees alike to turn their grocery carts into good by donating the value of their last grocery cart (or any amount they choose) to Feeding America at www.givefromthecart.com now through August 14. Every dollar raised will go to help fight hunger and Instacart will match each donation, up to 1 million meals to Feeding America. Learn more>>
Biocom is introducing their first endorsed smart testing solution in partnership with One Medical, which will enable member companies to show their commitment to workplace safety, attract and engage employees, and most importantly, mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Download their latestTesting Solutions addendum to The Path Forward: Biocom’s Return to Work Guide for the California Life Science Industry. Learn more>>
Sutter Health deployed a coordinated response across their integrated network to help protect patients, employees and the community throughout this unprecedented pandemic. View Sutter’s updated fact sheet. By sharing best practices and using the full breadth of expertise across our integrated network, they are able to respond to ever-changing needs created by the pandemic and develop targeted solutions. This work has helped to reduce hospital stays for COVID-19 patients from an average of 20 days at the start of the pandemic to just over 8 days today and helped to minimize COVID-positive patients’ need for ventilator use. Backed by Sutter Health’s integrated network, their staff and clinicians will continue to serve on the frontlines of this crisis to help protect our patients and communities. Learn more>>

Health & Community Guidelines

Shelter in Place Orders & Information by County

Testing Information by County

Resources for Employers

Resources for Employees

Resources and Support for Homeless and Other Vulnerable Populations

Resources Regarding the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act Passed on March 27

Business Continuity Reports

Economic Insights

Transportation Updates

BART
Caltrain
San Francisco Bay Ferry
Port of Oakland
Bay Area Bus Transit Systems:
AC Transit
County Connection
Golden Gate Transit
SamTrans
SFMTA
VTA

Resources for Working Remotely

McKinsey & Company’s “Getting Ready for the Future of Work”
LinkedIn’s Working Remotely Resources
Google’s 4 Tips for Staying Productive at Home and Other Remote Work Resources
Working from Home Reviews: Multiple Articles

COVID-19 Response & Resource Network

Weekly Newsletter