New COVID Recovery Tools for Hospitality
Congress unveiled its $900 billion bill for short-term economic relief for businesses affected by COVID-19. Several items will benefit restaurants and lodging establishments. The federal plan announced today targets restaurant relief with provisions including: Enhanced PPP Loan Size: The PPP provides a business with…
Washington County Remains at ‘Extreme Risk’ level
Washington County, Oregon remains in the “Extreme Risk” category in the state’s new public health framework. The county has been in this category since December 3. The current risk level and its safety measures are in effect December 18-31 and are revaluated every two…
State Offers Tax Relief for Small Businesses
Oregon Governor Kate Brown announced new tax relief for small businesses that have been impacted by COVID-19 shutdowns. The Department of Revenue will eliminate penalties and interest on 2019 income tax for businesses that are still struggling to pay bills. “I have heard from…
Hotel Performance November 29-December 5, 2020
COVID-19 has directly affected the hotel industry throughout the United States, and Washington County is no exception. While Washington County’s hotel occupancy is performing better than other destinations, it is still a decrease from last year during the same period. For the week of November 29-December…
New Grants for Businesses Affected by COVID-19
Several new grant opportunities have become available for Oregon businesses affected by COVID-19. The state has approved $20 million to Business Oregon’s Emergency Assistance Fund and Washington County has approved a relief fund for food and tourism related businesses as well. Governor Brown and…
Oregon to “Freeze” November 18-December 2
Oregon will be placed on a two-week “freeze” as a new measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the state. The freeze limits restaurants to takeout only, retail capacity to 75 percent and faith gatherings and other indoor crowds to 25 people. Gyms,…
Washington County placed on two week ‘Pause’
Oregon Governor Kate Brown announced that nine counties, including Washington County, must pause social activities for two weeks, starting Wednesday, November 11 through November 25. This pause is a new measure to slow the spread of COVID-19 as cases across Oregon rise. It replaces…
2020 Oregon Tourism Industry Stakeholder Survey
Travel Oregon and the state’s seven official regional destination management organizations (RDMOs) launched a tourism industry stakeholder survey to seek input from communities, local businesses and individuals that drive the state’s tourism economy. The COVID-19 pandemic and necessary restrictions on travel have had devastating…