Downtown Akron Partnership will continue to coordinate with business and property owners, government and nonprofits to help ensure the safety and well-being of our downtown family. We are working closely with these partners and through national recommendations from the International Downtown Association to aggregate useful information for you regarding COVID-19.  

Please check back to these resource pages for updates as the situation evolves.

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HEALTH QUESTIONS ABOUT COVID-19

If you have questions about COVID-19, visit the Ohio Department of Health website at coronavirus.ohio.gov. You can also call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH.

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RECENT UPDATES

Greater Akron Chamber COVID-19 Recent Updates

RESOURCES FOR BUSINESS

• Greater Akron Chamber COVID-19 Resource Guide
• Summit County Public Health COVID-19 Information
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Resources for Businesses and Employers

• State of Ohio resources

  • State of Ohio Small Business Relief Office
    • Ohio Bar & Restaurant Assistance Fund
    • Ohio Small Business Relief Grant
  • Responsible Restart Ohio
    • Sector specific operating guidelines
    • 1-Page Planning Guide for Reopening

• Workplace Environment Resources

  • Physical distancing products: APG
  • PPE and Office Cleaning Resources

• Resources for Small Businesses

  • Lift Local Business - Huntington Bank
  • Google for Small Businesses
  • Akron Urban League resources for businesses
  • Main Street Lending Program - Federal Reserve
  • JobsOhio Inclusion Grant
  • Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses
  • Women's Business Centers of Ohio: COVID Resource Network

• Small Business Administration Resources

  • Information on most recent federal stimulus programs from SBA (Dec. 21, 2020)
  • COVID-19 Relief Options from SBA
  • U.S. Small Business Administration Economic Impact Disaster Loan Program (EIDL)  (deadline extended to Dec. 31, 2021)
  • SBA Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)  (resumes January 11, 2021)
    • PPP Program First Draw Guidelines
    • PPP Loan Application

• Resources for Arts, Nonprofits

  • ArtsNow Nonprofit, Arts and Artist Resources
    Unemployment resources for artists, gig workers, self employed, etc.

• Resources for Restaurants

  • Guidance from Ohio Restaurant Association for 2nd COVID-19 Releif Bill
  • Ohio Restaurant Association
    • Ohio Restaurant Association webinars and town hall meetings
    • Archived webinars and townhall meetings
  • National Restaurant Association
    • Reopening Guidance from National Restaurant Association
  • DoorDash
    • DoorDash Storefront

• Resources for Salons, Barbershops, etc.

  • Professional Beauty Association
  • Back to Work Guidelines from the Professional Beauty Association

• Additional Funding Opportunities

  • Loan Opportunities
    • Akron Resiliency Fund
    • Kiva
    • Honeycomb Credit
    • ECDI
    • HFLA

• Marketing Support

  • Akron [RE]bound
  • Support Local Akron
  • Support Local Ohio
  • Free Restaurant Listing on Cleveland.com
  • Webinar: Production, Distribution, Live Streaming, Getting Paid

• Legal Support

  • Akron Bar Association (legal questions or referrals)

EMPLOYEE RESOURCES

• Greater Akron Chamber COVID-19 Resource Guide
• ConxusNEO
• HFLA of Northeast Ohio (interest-free loans for individuals)
• Bartender Emergency Assistance Program
• Akron Urban League resources
• COVID-19 Artist Relief Grant

UTILITY RESOURCES

• Dominion — 
• FirstEnergy — Service terminations resume October 5, 2020
  • FirstEnergy has established a customer service team dedicated to our non-residential customers. This team can provide helpful information on available assistance programs and offer payment agreements if needed. If you would like more information, please contact your utility company at 1-800-633-4766 and ask to speak to a member of the Small Business Team. Members of this team are available 8:00 am – 6:00 pm, Monday through Friday. Arrangements made prior to October 5, 2020 will not interfere with any future payment arrangements.
• City of Akron Water and Sewer — Suspension of utility shutoff

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

• Ohio Department of Health
• Summit County Public Health COVID-19 Information
• 2-1-1 United Way of Summit County (assistance for individuals and families)
• American Red Cross Summit County
• Akron Canton Regional Foodbank

TIPS FOR ENJOYING PUBLIC SPACE

• National Recreation and Park Association

DOWNTOWN PUBLIC PARTNER UPDATES

• City of Akron
• County of Summit
• METRO RTA

GOVERNMENT INFORMATION

• Census 2020

Taxes (The deadline for filing individual and business income tax returns has been moved to July 15, 2020.)

• Federal
• State of Ohio
• County of Summit
• City of Akron

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updated September 23, 2020, 1:17 p.m.