NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Tennessee's small business owners and nonprofit organizations that have been impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak can now apply for financial help.
Gov. Bill Lee submitted a request to the U.S. Small Business Administration on Wednesday, asking to pursue statewide relief opportunities for Tennesseans.
On Friday, the state received a declaration for economic injury disaster loan assistance from the SBA.
Small businesses and nonprofit organizations that have suffered economic loss as a result of the pandemic can apply for loans for up to $2 million per applicant through the SBA.
In Tennessee, more than 94% of private sector businesses have fewer than 50 employees. That's 151,000 businesses in the state that employ more than one million Tennesseans in total.
Interest rates for the loans are 3.75% for small businesses and 2.75% for nonprofit organizations. The loans can be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable or other bills that can not be paid due to the impact of the novel coronavirus.
Applicants can apply online at sba.gov/disaster. For more information, applicants can call the SBA customer service center at 800-659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.
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COUNTY-BY-COUNTY CASES IN TENNESSEE
What is COVID-19 (a.k.a. the new coronavirus?)
According to the World Health Organization, coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases. Examples include the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV)and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans. COVID-19 stands for "Coronavirus disease 2019," which is when this strain of the coronavirus was discovered.
What are the symptoms?
The CDC says patients confirmed to have the 2019-nCoV reportedly had mild to severe respiratory illness with:
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Or at least two of the following symptoms:
- Fever
- Chills
- Repeated shaking with chills
- Muscle pain
- Headache
- Sore throat
- New loss of taste or smell
At this time, the CDC believes symptoms could appear as soon as two days after exposure, or as long as 14 days.
Prevention
The CDC is recommending "common sense" measures such as:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
