March 19, 2020—During the outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), the Automotive Service Association has been working in a coalition to assure independent repairers are included in any stimulus package associated with the virus.
Also, because ASA hopes to help shops stay open as "essential businesses" during the COVID-19 outbreak, ASA is urging shops to go to this link to write their mayors and city council members urging them to ensure that local policies take into account the key role of auto repair facilities and see to it that essential businesses remain available to support the work of other business during the national emergency.
Additionally, the Small Business Administration has said it will work directly with state governors to provide targeted, low-interest loans to small businesses that have been impacted by COVID-19. SBA has also updated the criteria for obtaining disaster assistance loans for small businesses impacted by COVID-19. Under the revised criteria, “disaster assistance loans will be available statewide following an economic injury declaration. This will apply to current and future disaster assistance declarations related to Coronavirus.”
ASA is urging members to go to this link to write to their governors in support of obtaining an Economic Injury Disaster Loan Declaration.
In addition, ASA has signed onto a letter to the National Governors Association urging immediate action be taken to obtain an Economic Injury Disaster Loan Declaration for each state, so that small businesses can have access to SBA disaster support.
This follows ASA contacting members of Congress reiterating that the outbreak of COVID-19 has rapidly been impacting industries and small businesses, such as automotive service providers and suppliers that do not have the ability to switch their core functions to a remote operation.
(See letter to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.)
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