The Peru Gazette

COVID-19 June 11 Updates

Phase 3 Updates

Limited indoor seating at bars and restaurants will be permitted, as well as personal care services such as spas, tanning, cosmetology, massage therapy, nail salons, waxing, tattoos, and piercings.

Please visit the NY-Forward website for the industry guidelines for Phase Three.

Clinton County Absentee Ballot Update

Some who live at the same mailing address who sent their absentee ballot requests at the same time are receiving their absentee ballots days apart.

The Clinton County Board of Elections is aware of this issue and asks for your patience.

The Board of Elections received thousands of applications in a very short timespan and are responding to these requests as best as they can.

Clinton County Office and Court Updates

The Supreme and County court is offering in-person proceedings for essential cases.

Non-essential parties can request in-person proceedings and the assigned judges will make decisions on a case-by-case basis.

Family Court, Surrogate Court, and City and Civil Court will have in-person proceedings for essential cases and all other cases will be decided on a case-by-case basis.

Clinton County offices will expand their services under Phase Three.

The Clinton County DMV will be opening by appointment soon- stay tuned for more updates.

Yard Sales Update

• Occupancy of the space used for the sale is limited to the number of people who can be safely and appropriate spaced such that each person is at least six feet away from others and, in no case, should the space be occupied by more than 10 people at any given time, in accordance with Executive Order 202.33, as extended.

• Appropriate face coverings must be used by people in areas or situations where they are likely to come within six feet of another individual, in accordance with Executive Order 202.17, as extended.
• Adequate hand hygiene supplies (e.g. hand sanitizer) and regular cleaning/disinfection protocols are in place.  Sellers may consult the New York Forward safety plan template for additional precautions that they should consider implementing during such sales.

The Clinton County Department of Health is urging people to please use caution and to do the most you can to protect yourselves while operating yard sales or when at larger gatherings and celebrations.

Clinton County Fairgrounds Drive-In

Gates will open at 7:30 pm and the film will begin at approximately 9 pm on both evenings.

Please have exact change if possible.

Saranac Lake Milk Drive-Thru

There are 600 dairy boxes to give away that include sour cream, string cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, and milk along with 2700 gallons of milk.

All boxes are first come first serve while supplies last.

PPP Updates

The following changes have been made to PPP under the PPP Flexibility Act of 2020:

• Lower the requirements that 75% of a borrower’s loan proceeds must be used for payroll costs and that 75% of the loan forgiveness amount must have been spent on payroll costs during the 24-week loan forgiveness covered period to 60% for each of these requirements.
• If a borrower uses less than 60% of the loan amount for payroll costs during the forgiveness covered period, the borrower will continue to be eligible for partial loan forgiveness, subject to at least 60% of the loan forgiveness amount having been used for payroll costs.
• Provide a safe harbor from reductions in loan forgiveness based on reductions in full-time equivalent employees for borrowers that are unable to return to the same level of business activity the business was operating at before February 15, 2020, due to compliance with requirements or guidance issued between March 1, 2020, and December 31, 2020, by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, related to worker or customer safety requirements related to COVID–19.
• Provide a safe harbor from reductions in loan forgiveness based on reductions in full-time equivalent employees, to provide protections for borrowers that are both unable to rehire individuals who were employees of the borrower on February 15, 2020, and unable to hire similarly qualified employees for unfilled positions by December 31, 2020.
• Increase to five years the maturity of PPP loans that are approved by SBA (based on the date SBA assigns a loan number) on or after June 5, 2020.
• Extend the deferral period for borrower payments of principal, interest, and fees on PPP loans to the date that SBA remits the borrower’s loan forgiveness amount to the lender (or if the borrower does not apply for loan forgiveness, 10 months after the end of the borrower’s loan forgiveness covered period).
• In addition, the new rules will confirm that June 30, 2020, remains the last date on which a PPP loan application can be approved.