City receives $1.17 million federal grant for business recovery, jobs
The $1.17 Million in CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant will allow the City of San Jose  to provide more support to our small businesses and manufacturers in underserved areas hit hardest by the pandemic. 

The City will leverage this Federal investment and our partnerships with the San Jose Downtown Association and Manufacture San Jose over two years to build a stronger small business climate for a resilient business ecosystem that has been severely stressed during COVID-19.

The grant will provide the following support activities:

1. Funding for technical assistance providers to help businesses and business networks in hard-hit commercial neighborhoods. This funding will allow the City to “scale up” emerging neighborhood business associations and provide assistance on topics such as access to capital, business transformation, safe operations, digital marketing, etc.
2. Mentorship to emerging business organizations and enhanced downtown business outreach through a partnership with the SJDA. Through this work, SJDA will provide support to existing and emerging business groups so that they can better serve their communities, now and long after the pandemic.
3. A study on how small businesses can benefit from Opportunity Zones and support economic growth benefiting communities in low-income neighborhoods.

You may want to either clean more frequently or choose to disinfect (in addition to cleaning) in shared spaces if certain conditions apply that can increase the risk of infection from touching surfaces:

• High transmission of COVID-19 in your community,
• Low number of people wearing masks,
• Infrequent hand hygiene, or
• The space is occupied by certain populations, such as people at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19

Additional Orange Tier activities starting April 15
The California Department of Public Health recently released updates to the state’s reopening framework, which will allow additional activities to resume with modifications starting April 15. Updates to the Orange Tier (current status of Santa Clara County) include: 

• Outdoor gathering size increases to 50 people 
• Indoor gatherings strongly discouraged, will be allowed with modifications (no food/drink except when following the standards in the guidance) 
• Outdoor private events size increases to 100 people or 300 if all guests are tested or show proof of full vaccination 
• Indoor private events will be allowed if all guests are tested or show proof of full vaccination: maximum 150 people 
• Indoor seated live events and performances at small venues: Maximum 15% or 200 people; 35% if all guests are tested or show proof of full vaccination 
• Indoor seated live events and performances at large venues: Maximum 10% or 2000 people; 35% if all guests are tested or show proof of full vaccination 

“As we reach 20 million vaccines administered and COVID-19 case rates and hospitalizations have stabilized, California is looking to move beyond the Blueprint for a Safer Economy to fully reopening our economy. On June 15, all industries across the state can return to usual operations with common-sense risk reduction measures such as masking and vaccinations.

We will only progress to this stage if we continue to stay vigilant, keep wearing our masks and getting vaccinated. The state will monitor hospitalization rates, vaccine access, and vaccine efficacy against variants with the option to revisit the June 15 date if needed.”

On June 15, California will fully open its economy if two criteria are met:

1. Equitable vaccine availability: If vaccine supply is sufficient for Californians 16 years or older who wish to be inoculated.
2. Consistently low burden of disease: Hospitalizations are stable and low, and specifically, hospitalizations among fully vaccinated individuals are low.

What happens beyond the Blueprint?
When California fully reopens the economy, the state will move beyond the Blueprint for a Safer Economy (the colored tier system). 

All sectors listed in the current Blueprint Activities and Business Tiers Chart may return to usual operations in compliance with ETS/Cal OSHA and other statewide agency guidelines and standards with limited public health restrictions. In addition, the following restrictions apply (via a narrow public health order): 

• Unless testing or vaccination status is verified for all attendees, conventions will be capped at 5,000 persons until October 1.
• International convention attendees will only be allowed if fully vaccinated.
• Workplaces promote policies that reduce risk, including improved indoor ventilation, and mask wearing in indoor and other high-risk settings as well as remote work when possible without impacting business operations.
• Californians and travelers will be subject to any current CDPH and CDC travel restrictions.

Media coverage:  KTVU 2     ABC 7     Bolly Inside

DTSJ and SJDA in the news

More recent media reports involving Downtown San Jose with commentary or behind-the-scenes input by San Jose Downtown Association. 

• ABC7 - Masks for Meals
• Patch - Children's Discovery Museum Reopens
• East Bay Times - 3Below Welcomes Back Movie Audiences
• SF Chronicle Datebook - Ebony G. Patterson’s paper garden of delights and traumas comes to ICA San Jose
• Forbes - Breeze Of Innovation’ Aspires To Become Iconic Landmark For San José, Silicon Valley

• Improving Our Mental Health
• SBA Relief Options
• SBA Shuttered Venue Operators Grant
• COVID-19 Vaccines
• County Vaccine Dashboard
• COVID-19 Vaccine Information - Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) - County of Santa Clara

• California Arts Council Grant Programs
• California Arts Council Grant Season
• Arts & Cultural Organizations General Operating Relief
• California Department of Public Health - Provider Bulletin

• City of San Jose
• CSJ COVID-19 Guidance
• CSJ Al Fresco program
• Greater Downtown Economic Recovery Task Force
• Santa Clara County
• Santa Clara County Testing Sites
• Santa Clara County Report a Concern

• Santa Clara County Frequently Asked Questions
• Silicon Valley Strong
• SV Strong – info for small businesses
• State of California COVID-19
• State of California Retail Guidance
• State of California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy
• Federal CARES Act updates