A message from Senator Thom Tillis

As we continue to respond to the coronavirus pandemic, I want to make sure every North Carolinian has the most up-to-date information.

This week, Governor Cooper announced he is extending the stay-at-home order for North Carolina until May 8th. Additionally, he announced a 3-part plan to reopen our state, which can be found here.

I’ve long said that we all need to do our part on social distancing and put the peak of the curve in our rear-view mirror before we can begin to safely reopen our economy. Governor Cooper’s plan is in line with the White House Coronavirus Task Force’s recommended guidance for states to reopen.

With that said, I know so many families and small businesses are suffering right now, and I share the urgency of many North Carolinians to get our economy back up and running as soon as possible. Until we do, there is assistance to help:

• Congress has authorized the Small Business Administration to issue special loans to employers in need of financial assistance during this time. This week, Congress passed additional funding to help North Carolina’s small businesses through the Paycheck Protection Program.

• Small businesses, sole proprietorships, independent contractors, and self-employed individuals can now apply for loans under the Paycheck Protection Program.

I also wanted to provide you an update on some of the things I have been working on: 

• More than $919 million in grants will be awarded to 6,906 health care providers and health systems in North Carolina to assist with their coronavirus response.

• More than $378 million will be awarded to 142 North Carolina colleges, universities, and post-secondary institutions. 

•  U.S. Department of Education will award $396 million to support continued learning for K-12 students in North Carolina whose educations have been disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.

To continue my efforts to keep North Carolinians informed, I will be holding more telephone town halls this upcoming week to discuss the federal response to coronavirus and efforts to protect the physical and economic health of North Carolinians.  

You can live stream all telephone town halls here.

These times are subject to change so please follow my Facebook and Twitter account for updates.

Thank you for reading, and as always please reach out to my office if you have any questions or need help with a federal agency and please stay safe. 

All the best,

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