Rhode Island allocates $100M For Businesses Closed During 2-Week Pause

Coronavirus Pandemic Causes Climate Of Anxiety And Changing Routines In America — A store stands closed as the coronavirus keeps financial markets and businesses mostly closed on April 21, 2020 in New York City. New York City, which has been the hardest hit city in America from COVIT-19, is just starting to see a slowdown in hospital visits and a lowering of the daily death rate from the virus.

By Associated Press

November 27, 2020

Gov. Gina Raimondo announced $100 million to help Rhode Island businesses, and some workers, that the state has told to close for a two-week period because of the coronavirus.

Raimondo said earlier this week that every resident who receives unemployment insurance benefits during the pause will get an additional $200 for each of the two weeks. The Department of Labor and Training will start processing payments as early as Dec. 6, Raimondo said.

Business owners that must close during the pause will have to fill out a form and then, will be sent a check up to $50,000, based on past revenue. Applications will be available as of Friday at tax.ri.gov.

The “ two-week pause" starts Monday and runs until Dec. 13. Raimondo announced the closures earlier this month to help control Rhode Island's surging coronavirus numbers. The 7-day rolling average of daily new cases in Rhode Island was above 915 on Nov. 25, up from around 665 new cases per day on Nov. 11.