COVID-19 Hotlines:
Kankakee County Health Department: 815-802-9311
IL Department of Public Health: 1-800-889-3931
Riverside Healthcare: 815-219-4037
AMITA Health St. Mary's Hospital: 815-928-6431
MOBILE & PERMANENT COVID-19 TESTING SITE LOCATIONS
Click here for current locations for COVID-19 testing from the Kankakee County Health Department and the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Kankakee County Health Department vaccination commonly asked questions (updated 4/4/21)
Click here
BUSINESS INTERRUPTION GRANTS - ROUND 2
Round two of the Business Interruption Grants is OPEN effective September 17, 2020. Priority will be given to businesses in Region 7 (Kankakee and Will Counties) and Region 4, due to the additional mitigations.
APPLY FOR THE BIG PROGRAM HERE
Round two of funding includes new provisions:
- Heavily Impacted Industries - $60 million for heavily distressed industries, such as movie theatres, performing arts venues, concert venues, indoor recreation, amusement parks, event spaces located at banquet halls and hotels, and more.
- Disproportionately Impacted Areas - $70 million set aside for DIAs, defined by zip codes identified by the General Assembly for communities that are most economically distressed and vulnerable to COVID-19. A map of DIAs can be accessed here.
- Downstate Communities - DCEO has committed to ensuring that at least half of all remaining funds, totaling more than $100 million, are reserved for businesses in downstate and rural communities of Illinois.
- Priority Businesses - Apart from the $60 million for heavily impacted industries, applications from the following types of businesses will be prioritized for review for remaining funds:
- Businesses directly affected by regional mitigations implemented by the state or local governments
- Independently owned retail, tourism- and hospitality-related industries including accommodations, and more.
- Agriculture - $5 million of the remainder of funds will be set aside for livestock production disruptions.
- Grants and Loan Forgiveness for Illinois Small Business Emergency Loan recipients - As authorized by the General Assembly, DCEO will offer grants for businesses that have incurred eligible costs to offset loans received under the Illinois Small Business Emergency Loan program. This round of loan forgiveness and grants will go to businesses that have received loans or remain on the wait list and the program will sunset going forward as DCEO and its partners focus on making BIG awards.
Restore Illinois
Thursday February 4th, 2021
All regions across Illinois are officially in Phase 4 of Restore Illinois. Keep working together to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in your community. Mask up, Wash up, Back up, & #VaxUpIL!
COVID-19 Testing
If you or an employee is experiencing symptoms consistent with COVID-19, please contact your doctor's office to determine which next steps are right for you.
Testing is available on-site at both Riverside Healthcare and Amita Health St. Mary's, along with Aunt Martha's Wellness Center in Kankakee.
Riverside Healthcare also offers on-site testing for employers with more than 60 employees.
NOTE: Testing is not available at the Kankakee County Health Department.
FAQ for Businesses Regarding Face-coverings
Health Business Alliance of Kankakee County
The Kankakee County Chamber of Commerce is a proud partner of the Healthy Business Alliance of Kankakee County. This group is dedicated to providing information and resources to individuals, organizations and businesses crafted to further public health and economic vitality for Kankakee County in a Covid-19 environment. We encourage businesses, churches, organizations and all residents utilize the materials on these pages. It is our hope to have widespread community support to help spread the word about our shared best practices, deploying tools and resources that help minimize the impact of Covid-19 in the every-day life of Kankakee County residents.
Our mission is to support the integration of these best practices into the framework of our business community for today, and for tomorrow. We are fiercely dedicated to helping protect human health, our local economic health, and supplying our vibrant community with information tools that support your commitment to this effort.
Small Business Administration: Disaster Loans
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has declared an economic disaster status for the entire state of Illinois. Small businesses in Illinois that have suffered economic injury as a result of COVID-19 are now eligible to apply for the low-interest loans being offered by the SBA.
Economic Injury Disaster Loan Details
Payroll Protection Forgiveness Application
The Small Business Administration (SBA) posted a new REVISED PPP Forgiveness application as well as a new EZ version of the forgiveness application that applies to borrowers that:
- Are self-employed and have no employees; OR
- Did not reduce the salaries or wages of their employees by more than 25%, and did not reduce the number or hours of their employees; OR
- Experienced reductions in business activity as a result of health directives related to COVID-19, and did not reduce the salaries or wages of their employees by more than 25%
The EZ application requires fewer calculations and less documentation for eligible borrowers.
Both applications give borrowers the option of using the original 8-week covered period (if their loan was made before June 5, 2020) or an extended 24-week covered period.
Click here for training regarding the PPP Forgiveness.
Business Interruption Grants (BIG) Program
Beginning Tuesday, June 23, applications will be accepted for the new Business Interruption Grant (BIG) Program which will reimburse the cost of business interruption due to COVID-19. The BIG Program is available for up to 3,500 businesses. Priority will be given to those in "disproportionately impacted areas" that have been heavily restricted or completely shut down during the pandemic.
Funding is also specifically available for bars and restaurants, salons and barber shops, and gyms and fitness centers.
Businesses eligible for the program must have experienced extreme hardship, demonstrated by eligible costs or losses in excess of the grant amount since March and may continue to face depressed revenues or closure.
Businesses must also have been in operation for at least three months prior to March 2020.
Application information is available here.
The Small Business Owner's Guide to the CARES Act
IL Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity FAQ Page
IL Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity (DCEO) - Emergency Assistance Layoff Aversion
Application: Submit to Ladonna Russell: lrussell@glkwb.com
Save Small Business Grant | U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Application Available starting April 20, 2:00 PM. Learn More and Apply
Illinois Small Business Assistance Initiatives
- Includes Downstate Small Business Stabilization Program
COVID-19 and Unemployment Benefits:
Federal Stimulus Package: Unemployment Benefits FAQ Page
The new federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program provides benefits for many individuals who have been determined ineligible for state unemployment benefits, including self-employed workers and independent contractors.
State of Illinois, Shelter-in-Place Executive Order - Extended 30 days
Emergency Child Care for Essential Employees
Child Care Resource & Referral: 815-741-1163
Legal Toolkit for Businesses Impacted by COVID-19
April 2, 2020: Free Webinar to discuss ways to mitigate the financial impact from COVID-19 through insurance coverage.
Local Contact: Paul McGrady, PMcGrady@taftlaw.com
Simply HR: Employment & Labor Blog. COVID-19 Q&A for Employers:
Daily Press Release Videos from the IL Department of Public Health:
Apply for Disaster Loan Assistance:
https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance
List of Kankakee County Restaurants still offering carry out, delivery, or curbside service.
To add a restaurant to the list, fill out this form.