We have compiled information directly from our Advisory Council members and from their websites to highlight some of the measures being taken by our supporting companies to combat the COVID-19 virus. This list is being updated so check back for changes and additions.
AAHOA has created links on their website to educate their members of important policies Congress is voting on regarding COVID-19. They also have links that focus on deals and promotions their member hotels can utilize during the COVID-19 pandemic. Another important link helps their member hotels determine if they are eligible for additional funding through the Cares Act. Through this link businesses have the opportunity to learn about important legislative decisions regarding this act as well as how to apply for assistance. Finally,AAHOA continues to host a series of webcasts entitled “Getting Back to Business,” to keep their member companies informed and help determine next steps for your business.AAHOA is making these webcasts available to the industry, so be sure to share with those in your network, whether they’re an AAHOA Member or not.
Abbott has created a device called the m2000 which can test for COVID-19 in less than 5 minutes. The company pulled together a squad of “scientists from our infectious disease corps; from transfusion medicine, as well as molecular diagnostics, everybody pulling together, doing their part and then moving to manufacturing because you could have a test, but if you can’t manufacture it, it’s not going to be available to the public.” This is where the FDA lifting the regulatory roadblocks comes into play. In early March 2020 the FDA, addressing the crisis, gave emergency approval for COVID-19 diagnostic tests to Abbott and other companies. As of March 25, Abbott has shipped 150,000 tests to 18 states. Their goal is to be able to produce a million tests a week.
Abbott also launched of its third COVID-19 test, a lab-based serology blood test for the detection of the antibody, IgG, that identifies if a person has had the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Antibody testing is an important next step to tell if someone has been previously infected. It will provide more understanding of the virus, including how long antibodies stay in the body and if they provide immunity. This type of knowledge could help support the development of treatments and vaccines.
Abbott has now produced a device to test antibodies that can determine if someone has been exposed to the coronavirus even if they are not showing symptoms. Abbot has produced and distributed more than 1.4 million m2000 5 minute test machines.
Advance America has created a set of links that people can use to get information regarding available federal resources. They also have a set of links on their website that helps people answer questions regarding which types of loans they can qualify for now, how to easily make payments to them and how to find open stores. Further they are ensuring their online self-service channels and Customer Care Team are equipped to address people’s needs and inquiries. Finally, they have implemented additional cleaning procedures in their stores and are counseling employees on social distancing steps they can take to protect their own health as well as the health of their customers.
Advanced Energy Economy is very focused on bringing awareness to the ways that COVID-19 is impacting both their members as well as the impact on renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy storage, grid services, and the electric vehicle businesses. They have prepared fact sheets, press releases, and active links on their legislative research that includes information regarding these topics.
Airlines for America is actively researching and posting information regarding the COVID-19 impacts on airlines. Their website includes information on steps airlines are taking to ensure passenger confidence and safety. They are additionally providing links to their member Airliners so people can see what steps individual airlines are taking to promote safety for passengers and airline employees during this pandemic.
They also announced that their member carriers are voluntarily implementing temporary health acknowledgment policies and procedures for passenger travel as an additional level of protection during the pandemic. Health acknowledgements typically cover three primary areas: face coverings, symptoms and exposure.
Altria has committed to provide over $1 million to the Coronavirus relief efforts including $500,000 to the Community Foundation of Greater Richmond’s COVID-19 Response Fund, which will support organizations addressing the physical and emotional needs of the Central Virginia community’s most vulnerable residents. They have also made a commitment to pay manufacturing employees their regular base wages during a temporary two-week suspension of certain plant operations, and evaluate additional pay continuation beyond that timeframe as needed.
American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA)
On May 4 The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) introduced Safe Stay, an industry-wide, enhanced standard of health and safety protocols designed to prepare America’s hotels to safely welcome back guests and employees as the economy reopens.
Additionally, more than 16,000 hotels across the country are coming together through AHLA’s Hospitality for Hope Initiative, in partnership with Health and Human Services and state and local public health agencies, to help local communities, healthcare workers and first responders on the front lines responding to the coronavirus crisis. The program is also expanding to assist GSA’s FedRooms program for first responders as well as the Office of Veterans Affairs to help find emergency housing for veterans.
To date thousands of hotels in hot spots and across the country have signed up to provide their support, including: 1,315 hotels in California, 1,043 hotels in Florida, 355 hotels in Louisiana, 415 hotels in Illinois, 1,366 hotels in Texas and 850 hotels in New York. Click here for a state by state breakdown of the number of hotels signed up.
As part of this initiative, the AHLA Foundation, AHLA’s charitable giving arm, is offering free resources to help industry employees continue their education during this difficult time including free hospitality management online courses, professional development scholarships for AHLA certifications and continuing education online programs.
AHLA is holding a series of conversations with key leaders called the Forum Speakers Series, hosted by President and CEO Chip Rogers. On Wednesday, August 5, the series will include a conversation with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Choice Hotels President Pat Pacious. The series continues a deep dive into the issues and forces that will shape the hotel industry of tomorrow.
The AmerisourceBergen Foundation, a not-for-profit charitable giving organization focused on supporting health-related causes that enrich the global community, has committed $1 million to support communities, individuals and nonprofits impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19). In alignment with the Foundation’s mission to improve the health and wellbeing of patient populations, the grant donations will be deployed to regional, national and global organizations focused on combatting the economic, psychosocial and health challenges resulting from the global pandemic.
For employees: AmerisourceBergin is offering weekly bonus incentive pay and providing back-up dependent care for its workers. They are also using enhanced cleaning protocol including EPA-approved disinfectants and additional support from third-party cleaners in all of their facilities. Enhanced paid time off policy for associates needing to self-quarantine or care for family members.
Treatment for COVID On May 1, 2020, the FDA granted an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for Gilead’s remdesivir for the treatment of COVID-19. Gilead has been working closely with the U.S. government on preparations to donate and distribute remdesivir across the country to treat critical COVID-19 patients, and will work with AmerisourceBergen as the sole distributor for the donated remdesivir. (They are helping distribute this “remdesivir”)
Apple recently released a new screening tool and set of resources to help people stay informed and take the proper steps to protect their health during the spread of COVID-19, based on the latest CDC guidance.
They are also working on developing an effective app to help monitor where people with COVID-19 are near you and their website currently includes a series of questions that will help people determine their susceptibility to the virus and steps they should take to protect themselves.
The Biogen Foundation has committed $10 million to support global response efforts and communities around the world impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Biogen Foundation, provided weekly polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing to all patients and staff members at participating nursing homes in Massachusetts. Regular testing of nursing home staff was a key component of this pilot because these front-line workers are at particular risk during the COVID crisis as many take on extra shifts or work at multiple facilities with a population that is already susceptible to the virus. By providing staff with weekly PCR testing, they were able to take extra precautions in their shifts and go home to their families with less worry about working around COVID patients. The success of the initial six-week pilot has led to an extension of testing and introduced bi-weekly serology testing, commonly known as anti-body testing, to help detect previous infection in people who had few or no COVID-19 symptoms.
CGI teams around the world in response to this crisis by rapidly mobilizing resources and systems to support the vital workings of society, all while keeping our respective employees safe. Critical responses include:
- A rapid transition to remote working for hundreds of thousands of employees, through increased bandwidth, remote security, and rapid rollouts of collaboration software;
- Implementation of rapid changes to employment and economic support programs, leveraging our existing IP solutions across multiple geographies and industries;
- Remote connections and virtual learning environments for millions of children in over 1,700 schools across Europe, as well as launching virtual education camps focused on science, technology, engineering, and math for children across North America; and
- The development and launch of a digital recruitment and monitoring platform for the Montreal Heart Institute, allowing patients diagnosed with COVID-19 to securely register for a clinical study called COLCORONA, now expanding to countries beyond Canada.
The Coca Cola Company and The Coca Cola Foundation together with Coca Cola HBC and all other bottling partners are providing a $120 million support package focused on the people and organizations engaged in the frontline fight against COVID-19. As a result, bottlers in each of Coca Cola’s markets are making a significant donation primarily to the Red Cross, but also to other NGOs in order to support frontline work or to purchase medical equipment. Coca-Cola also made a $250,000 donation to the United Services Organization (USO) to aid servicemen and servicewomen who are providing COVID-19 relief in communities across America and has donated nearly 500,000 bottles of POWERADE to U.S. military bases in eight states and two naval hospital vessels.
Coca-Cola North America is teaming up with supply chain partners and a nationwide network of volunteers to produce and distribute hundreds of thousands of protective face shields to healthcare workers and first responders on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis. The company is sourcing and donating 100,000 pounds of plastic sheeting to make face shields in partnership with MakersRespond, a nonprofit created to rally makers, manufacturers and markets to address the pandemic-related shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE).
The Coca-Cola Foundation, the philanthropic arm of The Coca-Cola Company, awarded $13.5 million in grants to five nonprofit organizations working on the front lines of the U.S. and Canadian humanitarian response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Comcast Extends 60-Days of Free Internet Service to New Internet Essentials Customers. Originally set to expire on June 30, the free offer will now be available through the end of this year. In addition, Comcast will continue to waive, through the end of the year, the requirement that customers not have a past due balance with Comcast to qualify for the free offer.
Comcast Extends Free Public WiFi Access to Everyone For the Remainder of 2020. This includes free access to 1.5 million public Xfinity WiFi hotspots to anyone who needs them, including non-customers, through the end of 2020.
These are the latest announcements as a part of Comcast’s COVID-19 response. To read more, please visit:https://corporate.comcast.com/covid-19
Consumer Healthcare Products Association
CHPA tracking developments daily, and they are evaluating all CHPA activities, priorities, and programming with their clients health and safety at top of mind. CHPA has mobilized to provide support to its members while their staff is busy responding to specific requests for information or assistance and influencing government and regulatory actions, all while working to maintain their operations from a remote work environment until further notice. They have also created a webpage that includes information on stay at home orders and what they mean. Additionally, they are keeping their clients updated on any new information regarding business continuity as well as letters they are sending in to legislatures.
Covanta Energy is volunteering their Material Processing Facilities to receive and process COVID-19 decontamination waste materials under strict local and federal standards. The COVID-19 decontamination debris is then sent to our Waste-to-Energy facilities to be thermally destroyed in a controlled environment to prevent the further virus spread.
In May, Deloitte published the 16 page “Covid-19 Outlook for the Technology Industry.” The publication not only examines how the industry is impacted by the virus, but suggest steps technology companies can take to position themselves to succeed after the crisis.
Diageo has pledged to help make 8 million bottles of hand sanitizer by donating up to two million liters of alcohol. Working with national governments where they have distillation operations, as well as partnering with hand sanitizer manufacturers, the company is aiming to deliver sanitizer to frontline care workers as soon as possible.
The bar and restaurant community has been particularly hard hit by the current situation, with many facing extreme financial and personal uncertainty in the coming weeks and months. This is a group that has always been at the heart of Diageo’s business. To play its part in supporting them in their time of need, the company’s North America business has pledged more than $4 million of support to the bar and restaurant community, and frontline workers.
Since March, the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation and Dunkin’ franchisees have delivered hundreds of thousands of free cups of coffee and donuts to more than 300 hospitals and emergency sites across the U.S. In honor of Pay It Forward Day, the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation provided critical support to nurses and healthcare workers experiencing trauma due to COVID-19, announcing a $200,000 grant to First Descents, the global leader in adventure-based healing.
Entertainment Software Association
ESA amplified the #PlayApartTogether initiative to spread key messages from the World Health Organization. They have also created an entire page dedicated to COVID-19 information. This website includes a Resource Center geared to educating and influencing gamers to do their part in slowing the spread of the virus. It also includes a healthy game play section. In this section ESA provides families with information regarding safe video game play during the quarantine. The third section includes news regarding gaming and research regarding the impacts virtual gaming can have on this pandemic. Finally, the industry response section highlights the wonderful work the gaming world partners are doing to help fight the COVID-19 virus.
Facebook is ensuring everyone has access to accurate information and is removing harmful content, connecting people to credible information on Facebook, Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp. They are investing $100 million in the news industry and supporting fact-checkers to identify misinformation regarding COVID-19. They are prohibiting exploitative tactics in ads and banning ads for medical face masks, hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes and COVID-19 test kits.
Facebook is matching $20 million in donations to support COVID-19 relief efforts and donating $25 million to support healthcare workers on the front line They are investing $100 million in small businesses and making it easier for people to support their local businesses. They are supporting global health organizations with free ads and empowering partners with data and tools.
Farmers is temporarily pausing policy cancellations due to non-payment. They are also waving all late fees and extending policy renewal deadlines until May 1st.
With many small businesses struggling as a result of customers staying home, Farmers is providing additional relief to more than 115,000 of its business insurance customers under its Farmers Cares initiative. Business customers in the restaurant, office, retail and service sectors across the country will receive a 20% monthly credit on their Business Owners Policy (BOP) for the next two months on their upcoming premium notices.
• Mindful of the pandemic’s impact on customers, Farmers made adjustments to allow extra time for insureds to pay their policies. The organization temporarily paused cancellations, allowing customers more time to pay their premiums until May 1, 2020.
• Farmers temporarily modified its Farmers branded auto policies to extend a customer’s existing personal auto and motorcycle insurance coverages when delivery drivers use their personal automobile or motorcycle for the delivery of food, groceries, pharmacy and medical supplies.
• Farmers is providing continuing support to local non-profit organizations that are responding with community-based COVID-19 initiatives. Here are just two example of their community-based initiatives:
Farmers donates protective masks to LA firefighters
Farmers support for Hawai‘i Pacific Health
Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA)
Dialysis is life-sustaining and not optional for patients living with kidney failure, so FMCNA began preparation in January by ordering extra supplies and conducting tabletop pandemic exercises. In order to help protect employees, patients, and physicians, the company aggressively implemented safety measures in their clinics starting on February 14, including screening all patients and staff. Across all of their dialysis clinics, patients are required to wear masks, and employees and physicians are required to wear full personal protective equipment. These actions greatly reduced close contact among patients and staff at a very early stage in the response to COVID-19. The company also rolled out an expanded telehealth platform to support social distancing for both home and in-center patients.
In an effort to not overwhelm hospitals as the prevalence rate surged, FMCNA established isolation shifts and designated isolation clinics so patients who are mildly symptomatic can receive dialysis at one of these locations and be referred for testing without an emergency room referral. Isolation remains in effect until an absence of infection is documented. The company also announced a collaboration with other dialysis providers to create additional isolation clinic capacity.
FMCNA has provided childcare stipends and supplemental pay to support direct patient care staff. Dozens of nurses and patient technicians have also volunteered to travel to hospitals where there has been a high demand for dialysis expertise due to a rise in acute kidney injury from COVID-19. The company has rushed supplies to hospitals in need and created a national reserve to provide additional dialysis machines for the nation’s hospitals during this unprecedented crisis.
GSK is making their vaccine adjuvant technology available to scientists and organizations working on promising COVID-19 vaccine candidates. They are also collaborating with Vir Biotechnology to use Vir’s monoclonal antibody platform technology to accelerate existing and identify new antiviral antibodies that could be used as therapeutic or preventative options for COVID-19.
GSK is donating $10 million to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, created by the UN Foundation and WHO, to support WHO and partners to prevent, detect, and manage the pandemic, particularly where the needs are the greatest. GSK has also initiated new volunteering processes for people working at the company, to enable those with medical expertise to provide support to frontline health workers.
Google has mobilized location-tracking data to help public health experts monitor the spread of COVID-19. These charts track mobility in areas to help public health experts track COVID-19 impacts. They are working with The White House and supporting institutions to develop new text and data mining techniques to examine the COVID-19 Open Research Dataset (CORD-19), the most extensive machine-readable coronavirus literature collection to date.
Providing for customers Google has made the advanced features in Google Meet free to all G Suite and G Suite for Education customers globally. They are offering their portfolio of Google Cloud learning resources, including their extensive catalog of training courses, hands-on labs on Qwiklabs, and interactive Cloud OnAir webinars at no cost until April 30. This will help people gain skills into Google services. They are providing $20 million in Google Cloud credits to academic institutions and research organizations as they study potential therapies and vaccines, track critical data, and identify new ways to combat COVID-19.
The Home Depot is donating millions of dollars in personal protective equipment (PPE) and other products and prioritizing fulfillment to hospitals, healthcare providers and first responders. The Home Depot voluntarily froze pricing nationwide across product categories in high demand due to COVID-19. They also executed a “Stop-Sale” on all N95 masks in stores and at HomeDepot.com and redirected all shipments to be donated to hospitals, healthcare providers and first responders around the country. They have been marshalling the resources of their merchandising and supply chain teams to globally source quality products and expedite the availability of needed items.
The Home Depot has also instituted several policies to ensure the safety of customers and employees including closing stores early to allow more time for sanitization; limiting the number of customers in stores; promoting social distancing in stores; providing and requiring employees to wear face coverings and gloves; providing thermometers for employees and asking employees to perform regular health checks; expanding curbside and delivery options
While IGT is being forced to reduce salaries and even furlough some employees during this crisis they are ensuring that all employees retain their health care and welfare benefits. Further they are taking all necessary actions to ensure they can continue to keep their industry strong for all stakeholders once the COVID-19 pandemic is over.
International Association and Amusement Parks and Attractions
IAAPA is offering a list of steps that its attractions can take to safely open: making guests aware of increased sanitation efforts; Go Cashless and Touchless at Registration and Beyond; Reimagine the Buffet Line; Rely on Your App for Dining and Activities; Add More Events and Offer In-Room Alternatives; Remove Unnecessary “Soft Touch” Items in Rooms; Eliminate Self-Service Machine; space out pool side seating.
Intuit is putting an investment of more than $8 million to work through four initiatives:
•Intuit QuickBooks is teaming up with GoFundMe to create a Small Business Relief Initiative to help small businesses raise money to overcome the challenges caused by COVID-19. Through this initiative, small businesses can create a fundraiser on the GoFundMe platform where they are able to share their story with the public and request financial support to help cover employee-related and business expenses. Intuit will provide funds to go directly to small businesses as part of the relief initiative. Small businesses can search the relief fund site and donate directly as well.
•Intuit is helping QuickBooks Capital customers with upcoming payments and access to funds. Customers who, due to hardship from this pandemic, are struggling to make their loan payment, can receive up to an 8-week deferral on loan payments with no interest charged.
•QuickBooks Payments customers can get access to cash more quickly with their QuickBooks Instant Deposit offering which makes cash available on the same day. They’ll soon be launching a free version of the service that will save customers up to $3 million in fees and provide them with access up to a total of $300 million of their payments funds instantly.
•Intuit is donating funds to the United Nations COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Also, through their We Care and Give Back Program, Intuit is matching employee donations 2:1 for 15 non-profits in 6 countries around the world.
By partnering with the U.S. government and leveraging their platform capabilities, Intuit has launched three new offerings – Intuit Aid Assist, QuickBooks Capital for Paycheck Protection Program, and TurboTax Stimulus Registration – to help consumers and small businesses better understand and potentially access billions of dollars through the recently passed federal aid and relief programs.
Intuit has applied our artificial intelligence and rapid innovation capabilities to help Americans navigate these offerings and get access to the money they need quickly.
• Intuit Aid Assist – a free website with an interactive tool to help small business owners and the self-employed in the U.S. assess potential eligibility for financial relief under the CARES Act, along with a calculator that will help estimate how much they qualify for and how much of a potential loan will be forgiven.
• QuickBooks Capital – QuickBooks Capital is a non-bank SBA-approved lender for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). QuickBooks Capital will be able to simplify, automate and expedite the PPP application process.
• TurboTax Stimulus Registration – a free product designed to help the more than 10 million Americans not required to file a tax return get their stimulus money fast.
Johnson & Johnson has selected a lead COVID-19 vaccine candidate, which is expected to go into clinical trials by September 2020. The company anticipates the first batches of a COVID-19 vaccine could be available for emergency use authorization in early 2021.
Through the rapid scaling of the company’s manufacturing capacity, including establishing new U.S. vaccine manufacturing capabilities, their goal is to provide a global supply of more than one billion doses of a vaccine worldwide.
Johnson & Johnson is donating $50M for immediate COVID-19 response, primarily focused on supporting frontline health workers.
They have also launched a groundbreaking eight-week series, “The Road to a Vaccine,” that explores the COVID-19 crisis and the global efforts to develop a vaccine candidate. Go to jnj.com to explore the series.
They do not allow their employees to work if they are sick. If an employee arrives at work exhibiting signs of illness, that employee is immediately sent home. They are actively updating and recommending that customers utilize their website or app to check part prices, hours of operation and inventory rotation. They encourage employees and customers to practice social distancing when appropriate. For the safety of their personnel, customers may be asked if they have any safety or health concerns that staff should be aware of, or any concerns about staff interacting with customers, with the appropriate social distancing. Employees will take appropriate sanitary precautions before interacting with customers. In their stores, they have increased surface cleaning protocols and are requiring employees to sanitize and/or wash hands frequently.
To help support U.S. small businesses through this crisis, Mastercard announced a commitment of $250 million over five years to support small businesses in the United States and other markets where they operate. They have also contributed to many food banks and have donated 25,000 respirator masks to New York City hospitals.
NCTA – The Internet and Television Association
NCTA member companies are providing over $100 million in public service advertising through June to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and educate consumers about the impact of the pandemic. Cable operators’ efforts include: opening Wi-Fi hotspots, pausing data plans, expanding internet access for low-income families and more.
McDonald’s is in every community across the country, and we are proud to continue safety serving our neighbors and heroes as we collectively navigate the COVID-19 crisis. We continue to offer convenient, contactless ways for customers to enjoy meals through drive-thru, carry out, McDelivery, and Mobile Order & Pay with our app.
In addition to the 1 million N-95 masks and $1 million donated to our home state of Illinois, across the country, McDonald’s is giving back the communities it proudly serves. On April 9, McDonald’s donated $3.1 million dollars in food which included nearly 3 million total pounds of food – including dairy products, produce, fruit and bakery items, and more than 1 million pounds of 100% USDA-inspected beef. These critically needed food supplies will be distributed via local charities and food banks to children and families in need. And every day, McDonald’s small business men and women are going the extra mile to support their communities. You can find their stories here.
McDonalds has a link that features numerous examples of its local franchises who are providing food and support during the pandemic.
The McLane Company has implemented social distancing measures, restricted access to their facilities, eliminated or postponed large work-related gatherings, restricted work-related travel, enhanced their sanitation protocols and adjusted their pay and benefits policies to better support teammates who contract COVID-19.
They have updated their webpage to include a reopening guide, information for essential businesses, what travel restrictions and Covid-19 related legislation per state.
National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)
Their website includes a map that indicates which states have passed laws limiting Covid-19 liability for businesses.
National Beer Wholesalers Association
Beer distributors are playing an essential role in transporting goods during this crisis. These local businesses are using their logistics expertise and transportation capacity to move more than just beer. They’re working with state and local governments to get important medical supplies to health care workers and they’ve used their temperature-controlled trucks to help grocery stores replenish shelves with crucial supplies like eggs, milk and produce.
As family-owned, Main Street businesses, beer distributors are committed to coming to the aid of their communities in difficult times. They are donating resources to help those on the frontlines, as well as those affected by the crisis: food and water to police, fire fighters and health care workers; refrigerated trucks for local food drives; funds to nonprofit organizations that support bar and restaurant workers; and even expired beer to be recycled into hand sanitizer. At the same time, beer distributors continue to work daily to keep the shelves stocked at grocery stores and other retailer partners with a range of non-alcoholic beverages beyond beer. See all the ways that beer distributors are #deliveringmore during this difficult time here.
They have created resources on their websites to keep their members up-to-date on the latest tools, safety protocols and information relating to COVID-19.
Novartis has made contributions upwards of USD 40 million to over 60 projects around the world that support local communities impacted by this crisis. These include major donations to strengthen medical infrastructure and provide on-site support in many countries.
Novo Nordisk scientists are working in research & development laboratories adapted to boost Denmark’s COVID-19 testing capacity. They are donating essential equipment including masks and gloves and recently provided 20 tonnes of alcohol to replenish stocks of hand sanitizers in hospitals. Novo Nordisk Foundation has also made more than $7 million USD available to fight COVID-19 in Denmark.
Pernod Ricard USA is producing hand sanitizer at its manufacturing sites in Texas, Kentucky and West Virginia and donating bottles to combat the coronavirus outbreak. Before transitioning their production facilities to producing hand sanitizer, they donated more than 18,000 gallons of pure alcohol to companies producing hand sanitizer in France.
Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA)
PCMA is working with pharmacies to make it easier for patients to receive their medicines at home by waiving delivery fees, allowing pharmacists to service their regular patients at home and assisting with mail delivery.
In order to better protect pharmacists and patients, PCMA is allowing pharmacists to write COVID-19 in the signature box and allowing pharmacists to confirm delivery by text, email or phone instead of a signature.
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers (PhRMA)
In these unprecedented times, America’s biopharmaceutical companies are coming together to achieve one shared goal: beating COVID-19. We are dedicating our top scientists and using our investments in new technologies to speed the development of safe and effective vaccines. Find out more about what the industry is doing to combat COVID-19 here: https://phrma.org/coronavirus. While America’s biopharmaceutical companies are working around the clock to develop a treatment for COVID-19, companies are also expanding efforts to help patients access other medicines they need. PhRMA’s Medicine Assistance Tool was built to connect patients with resources that may help lower out-of-pocket costs.
They have also produced the publication “Helping those Affected by the Coronavirus” which outlines steps their member companies are taking to developing solutions to help diagnose and treat those with COVID-19.
P&G brand Safeguard is stepping up as a force for good, donating $10 million to promote handwashing habits among kids and provide more underserved communities and families with free hygiene products through organizations including Save the Children, Americares, and Feeding America. The hygiene education and product donation initiative will help reach the estimated 48 million kids under the age of 12 that are reentering playgrounds, parks, recreational facilities and schools in the U.S. in June.
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is working with a broad section of the music community and to launch a website (musiccovidrelief.com) to provide resources available to the music community across the country. They have linked a resource on their website to help musicians apply and received federal assistance due to COVID-19. They are also keeping an updated newsletter on their website to inform musicians and music lovers on important COVID-19 response and legislation.
US bio-tech subsidiary, Kentucky BioProcessing (KBP), is developing a potential vaccine for COVID-19 and is now in pre-clinical testing. If testing goes well, the hope is that with the right partners and support from government agencies, between 1 and 3 million doses of the vaccine could be manufactured per week, beginning in June. While KBP remains a commercial operation, the intention is that its work around the Covid-19 vaccine project will be carried out on a not for profit basis.
Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines global business unit of Sanofi, is leveraging previous development work for a SARS vaccine as part of their goal to unlock a fast path forward for developing a COVID-19 vaccine. Sanofi Pasteur and Translate Bio, a clinical-stage messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics company, are collaborating to develop a novel mRNA vaccine for COVID-19.
They have closed access to their lobbies and moving all in-person transactions to either, curbside, where access permits, or door-side to protect both customers and employees. They are also encouraging customers to utilize their apps and text alert systems to stay up to date and manage their accounts most effectively.
State Farm Insurance Companies
State Farm is allowing customers to call in and get financial support regarding their bills during this time. They are also donating to many nonprofits and they have a gift match program with their employees, meaning any amount an employee donates, they will match.
Softbank
In an effort to support their community during these challenging times, Softbank Group is pleased to announce they have purchased and donated 1.4 million n95 certified protective masks to those on the front lines testing, preventing, and treating the spread of the COVID-19 virus in New York State.
Target
Target has implemented several steps to insure the safety of shoppers including requiring shoppers and employees to wear masks, enhanced sanitation, social distancing and limiting the number of shoppers in the stores at any given time. For those who are afraid to enter the store, Target has enhanced its pick up and delivery services.
T-Mobile is giving up to $500,000 to Feeding America through T-Mobile Tuesdays, a program that thanks customers with exclusive offers every Tuesday. The T-Mobile Foundation is giving $100,000 to the COVID-19 Response Fund.
All T-Mobile customers as of March 13, 2020, who have plans with data will have unlimited smartphone data for the next 60 days. They are currently offering free international calling for all T‑Mobile and Metro customers. They are increasing the data allowance for free to schools and students using our EmpowerED digital learning program up to 20 GB a month.
Verizon will waive any late fees residential or small business customers may incur because of the economic circumstances related to the coronavirus. And they will not terminate service to any residential or small business customers because of their inability to pay their bills due to hardships caused by the coronavirus.
Visa Foundation has committed $210 million to support small and micro businesses and immediate COVID-19 Emergency Relief. The first program of $10 million is designated for immediate emergency relief to support charitable organizations on the frontlines responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as public health and food relief, in each of the five geographic regions in which Visa operates.. The second program is a five-year, strategic $200 million commitment to support small and micro businesses around the world, with a focus on fostering women’s economic advancement.
Vistra Energy has donated $2 million to non-profit organizations and social service agencies, providing direct relief for people with critical needs resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic in the communities it serves. These non-profits and agencies include: TXU Energy Aid, Ambit Cares and United Way.
Walmart has implemented several steps to insure the safety of shoppers including requiring shoppers and employees to wear masks, enhanced sanitation, social distancing and limiting the number of shoppers in the stores at any given time. Walmart is part of communities all across America, and we believe we can play a vital role by helping our neighbors in a time of crisis. We are committed to supporting efforts to expand COVID-19 drive-thru testing through partnerships with federal and state governments, labs and insurance companies.
Wells Fargo is offering fee waivers, payment deferrals and other expanded assistance for credit card, auto, mortgage, small business and other personal lending customers who contact us, with more than 1 million customers helped as of the end of April. The company has also temporarily halted all foreclosure-related activity and evictions for customers with loans we hold in our portfolio.
We’re making additional cash payments for employees whose roles require they come into the office. We’re also providing a special one-time cash award to approximately 170,000 employees to recognize their focus and dedication to the company in 2019. Combined, this could equate up to $1,600 for certain qualifying employees.
The company has also extended child care for eligible U.S. employees with children under 13, including a $100 per day reimbursement for eligible employees seeking child care through their own personal networks for up to 40 days, expiring at the end of May.
The Wells Fargo Foundation is donating $175 million to help address food shortages, public health needs, small business stability, and housing security for the most vulnerable populations. This includes a $1 million grant to Feeding America to support their 200 member food banks as they work to feed people during this time of crisis, and a $10 million donation to the WE Care Fund to help their employees access assistance when necessary.
The Wine Institute has compiled a list of state and national relief efforts that are supporting hospitality workers who have been especially hard hit by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic to help raise money for them.
