OPERATIONS

The NYS Department of Health Commissioner has extended the activation of the NY HERO Act for the second time. The designation is now set to expire on December 15, 2021.

On Thursday, President Joe Biden announced he will order the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to require employees of businesses with 100+ employees to either get vaccinated or present a negative COVID-19 test result each week. The Biden Administration estimates that the new rule will apply to over 80 million people in the private sector.

The Association has heard from several dealers that have submitted PPP loan forgiveness applications - using the FTE Reduction Safe Harbor 1 exemption - that their applications have sailed through their bank’s review but have stalled under Small Business Administration (SBA) examination.

NYSERDA recently announced changes to the rebate program including new rebate amounts, lowering the qualifying MSRP, and a training requirement for dealership personnel.

Today, Governor Cuomo announced that, effective immediately, New York’s Safety Guidelines are now optional. This news follows the State hitting the 70-percent mark of adults receiving their first COVID-19 vaccine dose.

The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced today that employers may offer financial incentives to employees to get vaccinated as long as such incentives are not “coercive.” Also, today, Governor Cuomo announced that employees who fall ill due to side effects from receiving a COVID vaccine will be allowed to use employer-paid sick leave for such illness.

A GNYADA member, whose mask policy requires staff to submit proof of COVID-19 vaccination, has alerted the Association that they received fake vaccination cards from employees.

A short while ago, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that, starting this Wednesday, May 19, 2021, vaccinated people will no longer need to wear masks in nearly every setting, including automotive dealerships. The only exceptions include those riding public transit, those in schools, and in some communal settings.

Last week, Governor Cuomo signed the New York Health and Essential Rights Act (HERO Act) into law, making NY the first state to put healthcare protections imposed during the COVID crisis into permanent law. The HERO Act imposes two significant changes on all private-sector employers.

It may not be a return to total normalcy, but New York continues to ease safety restrictions on businesses as COVID infection rates drop.

This week Governor Andrew Cuomo joined Governors Phil Murphy of New Jersey and Ned Lamont of Connecticut to announce that the three states will move forward with plans to ease restrictions for most businesses, including auto dealerships.

New York State has issued a travel advisory for anyone coming to New York after travel to states that are not contiguous to New York

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released updated guidance to help facility operators and families properly clean and disinfect spaces.

New York State determined, on March 26th, expanding an Executive Order by Governor Cuomo, that car sales are essential. Dealers can sell or lease vehicles as long as they abide by the strict requirements of conducting sales remotely and follow the CDC requirements.  

Below are communications GNYADA has prepared to help dealers inform employees and customers about the steps they have taken to maintain a safe workplace, help consumer sentiment, and keep employees at ease:

GNYADA continues to receive questions about test drives. Since we last wrote about test drives, Gov.Cuomo has added new safety measures for employees and customers, including the use of face coverings. Below you will find some best practice ideas for conducting test drives during the coronavirus pandemic. It is advisable that dealers create a test drive policy, distribute it and train employees to follow the policy.

NADA's new Dealer Guide to Safely Operating Your Dealership During a Pandemic helps dealers maintain essential operations while minimizing unnecessary risks. The guide provides information from reliable sources including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for keeping employees and customers safe during the pandemic

NADA's latest FAQs, "Dealership Health and Safety Concerns During A Pandemic," outline the steps dealerships can take to provide a safe environment for their employees, followed by frequently asked questions related to occupational health and safety law during the pandemic and what steps to take should an employee test positive for covid-19.

The type of PPE used will vary based on the level of precautions required, such as standard and contact, droplet or airborne infection isolation precautions. The procedure for putting on and removing PPE should be tailored to the specific type of PPE.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) developed this COVID-19 planning guidance based on traditional infection prevention and industrial hygiene practices.