The Guam Visitors Bureau, the Guam Chamber of Commerce, and the Guam Hotel & Restaurant Association issued the following letter to their members providing a list of resources and updates on the status of the coronavirus crisis affecting the island.
READ the letter to members in FULL below:
Håfa Adai to our valued Members!
The Guam Visitors Bureau, the Guam Chamber of Commerce and the Guam Hotel and
Restaurant Association have been working together to pull resources that can benefit our
members and community during this very difficult time in our island’s history.
We understand that it is not business as usual. The greatest chance we have to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 is for us to work together to ensure the survival of our tourism industry, local businesses, business owners, and ultimately, ensure that our valued team members can take care of their families.
Here are some updates from this past week:
Agreement Signed with USDOL
You may have recently heard that on March 29, Governor Lou Leon Guerrero signed an
Agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) to implement the provisions of the
Relief for Workers Affected by Coronavirus Act, or Public Law 116-136, which was enacted on March 28, 2020.
The Act provides for a new Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program, giving employees affected by the COVID-19 pandemic on Guam unemployment benefits. Please note that The Guam Department of Labor (GDOL) and the Guam Economic Development Authority (GEDA) will be leading efforts to create a new PUA program that will be
administered by the GDOL on Guam.
COVID-19 Hotline – Call 311
One of the most important resources to announce this week is the hotline for COVID-19-related inquiries. Governor Lou Leon Guerrero has identified “311” as the central COVID-19
communications hotline where residents can inquire or report the following:
- Medical questions regarding COVID-19 (Department of Public Health and Social
Services Nurse Triage), daily from 6 a.m. – 10 p.m. -
Report a business in violation of the Social Isolation Directive (Department of Revenue
& Taxation) – weekdays from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. -
Report an individual in violation of the Social Isolation Directive (Guam Police
Department) – daily, 24 hours -
Business owners with questions on economic relief (Guam Economic Development
Authority) – weekdays from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. -
Employment and unemployment guidance (Department of Labor) – weekdays from 8
a.m. – 5 p.m. -
Counseling Hotline (Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center) – daily, 24 hours
- General Inquiries (Joint Information Center) – weekdays from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Helpful Resources
We have joined together to identify and share pertinent resources for funding, aid and general information that may be of great help to you at this time.
Here are links to helpful resources:
1. Department of Labor website
a. Guam DOL advisory regarding instructions to receive information about the
Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program (PUA) or the Stimulus Bill and
the Disaster Dislocated Worker grant.
b. CARES Act Stimulus Bill
2. Guam Economic Development Authority website
a. Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Division B –
Emergency Appropriations for Coronavirus Health Response and Agency
Operations, a must-read for all business owners and managers
b. U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship – The Small
Business Owner’s Guide to the CARES Act
3. Small Business Administration
a. Coronavirus (COVID-19): Small Business Guidance & Loan Resources
b. SBA Disaster Loans
c. The Pacific Island Small Business Development Center Network FAQs
regarding SBA Loans as it relates to regional businesses
4. Department of Revenue and Taxation online services
a. Income Tax deadline extended from April 15 to July 15
5. Department of Public Health and Social Services website
a. COVID-19 Guidance for Employers (public and private sectors) for employees
who were advised to quarantine for reasons related to COVID-19 – Standard
Operating Procedure (SOP) 2020-05
b. DPHSS Guidance Memo 2020-02 Relative to Executive Order Nos. 2020-04,
05, 06, and 07
6. GVB’s COVID-19 Website Repository – access all Executive Orders, JIC releases,
FAQs, quarantine updates and translated materials on one page.
We invite you to reach out to us for further information, or if you need guidance during this
pandemic.
Please stay safe and be well,
Pilar Laguaña
President & CEO Guam Visitors Bureau
Catherine Castro
President Guam Chamber of Commerce
Mary P. Rhodes
President Guam Hotel & Restaurant Association
