Coronavirus Updates & Resources

Article Virginia Bankers Association

Please note, new resources are no longer being added to this page. If you are looking for a specific resource, please check the following new resource webpages to help keep you informed. For additional information, please contact Monica McDearmon. 

Coronavirus Government Assistance Programs Information Webpage

Recent updates on this page include:

  • SBA PPP report on approvals 
  • SBA procedural notice addressing second-draw loans, including a 7(a) notice, 504 fee notice and borrower assistance notice
  • SBA points of contact information
  • VBA Partner Resources, including free resources from VBA Endorsed Provider Compliance Alliance for all VBA members (regardless of Compliance Alliance membership)

Workplace Resources for the COVID-19 Pandemic Webpage

Recent updates, information and resources on this page include:

  • Virginia Department of Labor & Industry’s Final Permanent Workplace Standards (effective January 27, 2021)
  • COVID-19 Vaccine Information from the VA Dept. of Health and VAMS
  • Information from a Recent VBA Update on Governor’s Revised Executive Order on COVID-19

SBA/PPP Information

SBA/Treasury Rules, Guidance and Forms

Treasury FAQs – released 5.13.2020

Form 1502 Guidance for PPP Processing Fees

Additional Guidance on the Implementation of Section 1112 of the CARES Act, Subsidy for Certain Loan Payments, for the 7(a) and 504 Loan Programs

Promissory Note Form

Download the final borrower application 

Download the lender guaranty application 

Form 3506 - non-SBA lenders must submit in order to receive delegated authority to issue 7(a) loans under PPP. Completed forms can be submitted to delegatedauthority@sba.gov.

AICPA Recommendation on Agent Fees

CFPB Clarifications to Support Small Business Applying for PPP Loans

FHLBank Atlanta Special Advance Offering for PPP Loans

Process for Treasury Loans for National Security Businesses

PPP Loan Forgiveness Information

IRS Exempts lenders from Reporting PPP Loan Forgiveness

The IRS has issued new guidance directing lenders not to file information returns or furnish statements to borrowers to report the amount of qualifying loan forgiveness for covered loans made under the Paycheck Protection Program. View the guidance here.

PPP Lender Instructions - Forgiveness Platform User Guide

  • Forgiveness Platform Overview
  • Account Management
  • Submitting Forgiveness Decisions
  • Monitoring Forgiveness After Submission
  • Additional Resources

Treasury FAQs on PPP Loan Forgiveness-August 4, 2020

PPP Loan Forgiveness Application (form 3508)

Instructions for Form 3508

Calculator Tool for PPP Loan Forgiveness 

Slides from the 9.3.2020 Ask the Regulators Webinar: Basics of PPP Loan Forgiveness and the SBA PPP Loan Forgiveness Platform

form 3508EZ

The Small Business Administration released a three-page “EZ” Paycheck Protection Program loan forgiveness application requiring less documentation and fewer calculations than previously required. Form 3508EZ applies to borrowers who meet any one of these three criteria:

  •  ‌Applied for the PPP loan as self-employed, an independent contractor or a sole proprietor with no employees.
  • Did not reduce salary or wages for any employee by more than 25%, and did not reduce the number or hours of their employees (excepting laid-off employees who refused an offer to return).
  • Did not reduce salary or wages for any employee by more than 25% during the covered period and experienced reductions in business activity as a result of health directives related to COVID-19.

Form 3508EZ.

Instructions for Form 3508EZ.

Read the interim final rule – as of 6.18.2020

EIDL Program

The Small Business Administration (SBA) recently relaxed criteria to make it faster and easier for states to qualify for SBA Disaster Assistance. The SBA has approved Governor Northam’s request for Virginia’s statewide access to Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) program. The EIDL program offers low-interest loans directly from SBA for working capital to small businesses suffering substantial economic injury as a result of COVID-19. Now that Virginia has received approval, small businesses and private, non-profit organizations may apply for up to $2 million in loans to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that can’t be paid because of the disaster’s impact. For more information about the program and the information required for the small business or non-profit to provide in the application, click here or call 1‐800‐659‐2955 for assistance. As policymakers make other changes to SBA and other related programs, the VBA will continue to provide updated information. 

Additional SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program Information

Additional contact details for the Virginia SBA District Office can be found here.

VBA Benefits Corporation COVID-19 Resources

VBA Benefits Corporation COVID-19 Employee Tools and Resources Presentation

Click here for a presentation that you can share with employees that provides available tools/resources for maintaining physical and emotional health during COVID-19.  This is in PowerPoint format so you can customize for your population.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Personal Preparedness Resources – This link will provide resources on the virus, information on how to prepare, the prevalence in the US, as well as the updated travel restrictions through links to the CDC.

Link to March 19 EAP webinar, Keep Calm and Carry On: Maintaining your Composure during the COVID-19 Virus.   

Marsh & McLennan Agency Resources

Marsh & McLennan Agency’s Landing Page for Addressing the Coronavirus Outbreak – This site includes internal resources to help employers manage this pandemic including:

Important COVID-19 Healthcare Information

For banks that have health coverage through the VBA Benefits Corporation, the plan will waive members’ cost share (deductible, copayments, coinsurance) for the testing and treatment of COVID-19. We are now able to do so since the IRS has released guidance (Notice 2020-15) allowing the testing be covered on a first-dollar basis and not disqualify an individual’s ability to make or receive Health Savings Account (HSA) contributions. Treatment for telehealth services is available at 100%, including Live Health Online, for all acute conditions in addition to COVID-19 before deductible coinsurance and copays through September 30, 2020. More detailed information is being provided to HR directors. Please contact Laurie Milligan with any questions.

401(k) Participant Assistance

For participants who are uneasy about the financial markets and their 401(k) account balances, SageView Investment Advisory Group, our new 3(38) Investment Advisor for our retirement plans, can assist. Here is the Sage411 Participant Help flyer that you can distribute to participants.  We also have an email template that you can edit and send along with the flyer: Customizable Email Template Email Template PDF

SageView has created a retirement plan sponsor resource webpage as a result of COVID-19 and recent legislation. Please click here to view.

American Bankers Association Resources

American Bankers Association (ABA) released pandemic planning and business continuity resources for banks. This webpage has information and resources from the Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, financial regulatory agencies and others. The page also includes information on frauds and scams that have been reported in conjunction with the outbreak. The page will continue to be updated as more information becomes available.

ABA Webinars

The ABA is also hosting free webinars during this time and the recordings will be made available on the ABA resources website here.

To help ABA respond to inquiries from policymakers about the banking industry response to the coronavirus, the association is asking banks to share specifics about how they are helping customers affected by the virus and its fallout in the economy. The ABA has created this webpage that list banks’ actions in response to the pandemic. Bankers may email information to CoronavirusResponse@aba.com or complete this survey.

Other ABA Resources:

State Corporation Commission Updates

In light of the ongoing public health emergency related to the spread of COVID-19 and the declarations of emergency issued at both the state and federal levels, please be advised that the State Corporation Commission (SCC) has issued the following orders (“Order”) concerning certain practices and procedures for filings with the Clerk of the Commission. 

State Corporation Commission – BFI Policy Statement Regarding COVID-19

Federal Reserve Information

Main Street lending program

Lenders can register here.

Information for lenders, including term sheets, FAQs and instructions on registering, can be found here.

PPPLF Information

  • The Federal Reserve’s PPP Liquidity Facility’s (PPPLF) term sheet, the required borrower agreement letter, collateral pledge transmittal form, and other borrowing and operational documents and guides can be found here.
  • Also available are these PPPLF FAQs.
  • Finally, here is the email address to submit PPPLF related documents to the Richmond Federal Reserve.

Other Fed Resources

Ask the Fed Webinar Series

Ask the Fed is a program covering the latest financial and regulatory developments for bankers and their boards of directors.AsK the Fed® consists of periodic conference call / webinars that feature Fed experts and guest speakers on top banking questions of the day, with time at the end for questions and comments. Learn more about upcoming webinars here.

In this special edition of the Regional View, Sonya Waddell shared information gathered from a set of special questions added to the March 2020 regional surveys of business activity to gauge the economic impact of the novel coronavirus in the Fifth District.

Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA)

Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have issued temporary guidance regarding the eligibility of borrowers who are in forbearance, or have recently ended their forbearance, looking to refinance or buy a new home. Borrowers are eligible to refinance or buy a new home if they are current on their mortgage (i.e. in forbearance but continued to make their mortgage payments or reinstated their mortgage). Borrowers are eligible to refinance or buy a new home three months after their forbearance ends and they have made three consecutive payments under their repayment plan, or payment deferral option or loan modification. Click here to read more.

FHFA Announces Payment Deferral as New Repayment Option for Homeowners in COVID-19 Forbearance Plans

Updated Forbearance and Foreclosure Rules

FHFA Extends Foreclosure and Eviction Moratorium

FHFA Provides Tenant Protections

VBA Partner Resources

AbA Insurance ServiCes   (vba endorsed provider)

ABA Insurance SafeAlert Bulletins Blog

ABrigo   (vba endorsed provider)

Abrigo is VBA’s newest Endorsed Provider for their automated PPP loan forgiveness solution which provides banks with software to manage the full life-cycle of the PPP loan and also allows lenders to generate Form 1502 for processing fee requests and ongoing monthly servicing. VBA has secured special discounted pricing for this solution for our member banks.

Jeff Culver, a Virginia banking veteran, provided assistance with leveraging his experience and knowledge of lending operations and vendor selection in vetting and selecting Abrigo for this endorsement. Please feel free to reach out to Jeff as your bank evaluates its approach to the PPP loan forgiveness process.  

Additional resources from Abrigo: 

Akouba by velocity solutions   

Akouba by Velocity Solutions is providing a special offer on their Digital Loan Platform to aid banks with digital lending capability in preparation for anticipated small business loan demand. Their expedited implementation offers the same technology in a pared-down version to have your bank up and running more quickly, within 3-8 weeks (18-20 weeks for their fully-suited solution). Click here for more information.

Recent Article: Paradigm Shift - Digital Lending in the New Normal

Compliance Alliance Resources   (vba partner)

VBA Endorsed Provider Compliance Alliance is offering their Pandemic Tools to VBA member banks. Tools include:

Compliance Alliance will begin hosting weekly huddles to better service the banking community during the COVID-19 crisis. These Huddles will be open to everyone,  regardless of C/A membership. Weekly Compliance Alliance Huddle registration.  

PPP Loan Forgiveness: What We Know - this webinar provides a better understanding of the definitions of full-time equivalent employees, when and how PPP funds may be used, how forgiveness is going to be determined, and more. Despite the ever-changing program environment, this webinar captures up-to-the-minute information needed to begin preparing for forgiveness. 

Compliance Alliance PPP Forgiveness Resource Guide

cornerstone advisors

Recording from recent webinar on Remote Delivery is Now Essential – What to Do Today

DHG Webinar: Families First Coronavirus Response Act

President Trump signed into law the Families First Coronavirus Response Act which provides food assistance support, virus test funding, Emergency Paid Sick Leave, expansion of Emergency Family and Medical Leave, tax credits for paid Sick and paid Family and Medical Leave and Unemployment Insurance stabilization. Please refer to a summary of the paid leave and associated tax credit provisions here.

DHG hosted a webinar on the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. You can access a recording of the webinar here.

Elliott Davis

In response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the regulators have released communications that encourage banks to work with their customers and communities affected by COVID-19. This has given rise to questions about accounting for the effects of modifications or concessions made to loans by banks in supporting the regulators’ suggested COVID-19 pandemic response. Click here for more information on accounting for loan modifications and/or concessions.

FHLBank Atlanta

FHLBank Atlanta Special Advance Offering for PPP Loans

FHLBank Atlanta Collateral Relief Program – Overview

FHLBank Atlanta Collateral Relief Program – Webinar Recording

Relief for Collateral Reporting

Shareholders can request a delay for their regular submissions of Qualifying Collateral Reports or loan listings for any portfolio beginning with the March 31, 2020 reporting cycle. Read more. 

Loans with Forbearance Agreements 

We understand that shareholders may enter into forbearance agreements with their loan borrowers to allow them flexibility during the COVID-19 pandemic. Such loans will continue to be eligible collateral, assuming the loans continue to meet all other eligibility requirements detailed in the Bank’s Credit and Collateral Policy. 

Shareholders must request approval to report loans under a forbearance agreement in conjunction with COVID-19. Read more. 

Harland clarke   (vba endorsed provider)

VBA Endorsed Provider Harland Clarke’s Call Center Solutions are here as a support to VBA members as branches change their operational systems and personnel is working remotely. In addition, they could offer direct mail services so banks can offer Skip-A-Pay options to customers, Credit Line Utilization and Mobile Deposit Activation. Brief overviews of each are below:

  • Credit Line Utilization: Increase loan balances by reminding your account holders they can tap into their lines of credit to pay for big purchases like college tuition, laptops and autos.
  • Mobile Deposit Activation: Increase mobile deposits and reduce transaction costs by incentivizing this channel through direct mail promotions.
  • Skip-a-Pay: Direct mail is perfectly suited for skip-a-pay campaigns that increase non-interest income.

Harland Clarke can also help your bank with the demand for contactless payments (whether it be for the manufacturing of the contactless cards or the personalization/encoding of the cards).  With an uptick in demand for contactless implementations, Harland Clarke stands ready to support this initiative for your bank and your customers from both a central issuance perspective as well as an instant issuance perspective. Read more here.

Harland Clarke has available a  COVID-19 Resource Center and read this article about how banks can really be there for their customers as we all navigate through this.

Murphy & mcgonigle

Paycheck Protection Program Webinar: Litigation Primer for Banks 

PWCampbell   (vba endorsed provider)

PWCampbell offers COVID-19 customizable safety solutions for those branches operating by appointment only for their lobbies or for all branches when it’s time to begin re-opening.

Teller Guards - provide safety measures to combat the spread of the virus and protect bank employees and customers; designed to require very little assembly by the staff (no outside personnel to be onsite); sturdy structures without requiring permanent installation that would leave damage to work surfaces. For more information and pricing, contact Kevin Poirot | 412.963.0100 ext. 103.

Floor Graphics - promote social distancing within the branch for appointments and for branch lobby re-openings; customizable to a bank’s branded colors and messaging; come in various shapes. For more information and pricing, contact Kevin Poirot | 412.963.0100 ext. 103.

Branch Screen Messages - for those banks who have screens in their branch locations, can provide an easy NO COST solution to sharing general virus safety measures to bank customers who are coming through the drive-thrus; pre-designed messages have been developed by PWCampbell and can be easily inserted into whatever platform a bank uses to push out messages to in-branch screens and can easily be  branded for each bank. If you’re interested in using one or any combination of images available, please contact Travis Hileman | or 412.963.0100 ext. 382.

Door Decals - provide messaging for bank branches to aid them in complying with the national and state standards for social distancing in order to help prevent the spread of the Coronavirus. 

S&P Global Market Intelligence Resource   (vba endorsed provider)

Another VBA Endorsed Provider, S&P Global Market Intelligence, has launched Coronavirus: The Global Impact, a weekly newsletter highlighting their best insights into public health, the global economy, its sectors, and commodity markets. You can sign up here to receive this newsletter on a regular basis.

S&P Global has solutions to help your bank navigate COVID-19 – explore those solutions here.

S&P Global held a webinar on Remote Work Tech Challenges: A Marathon, Not a Sprint. If you were unable to participate live, you can access a recording of this here.

SRA – Strategic risk associates

Webinar Recording:Novel Coronavirus- Preparing for the Latest Black Swan

SRA is offering complimentary use of their Watchtower Enterprise Risk Software Dashboard for Pandemic tracking. Click on the video overview. To sign up for a free dashboard, click here. 

TBL Networks Covid-19 resources

VBA Endorsed Provider TBL Networks has provided resources relating to COVID-19:

TCA   (vba endorsed provider)

COVID-19 Business Impact:What Can You Do to Help?

Considerations for Managing an Offsite Review

Recent Article: Agencies Release Interim Final Rule on Deferral of Appraisals/Evaluations

Troutman Pepper Resource Center

Troutman Sanders, Pepper Hamilton and Aprio held a webinar on the current status of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) from an applicant and banking perspective. During the webinar, they discussed:

  • Current state of the PPP program
  • Advice on self-employed applications
  • The latest rules and regulations
  • Forgiveness provision rules
  • Pending banking requirements

Recent Webinar: CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program (PPP): Understanding the Requirements and Mitigating Risks

Stout, Troutman Sanders, Pepper Hamilton LLP, and Secura co-hosted a panel discussion of industry experts addressing issues and questions that financial institutions (FIs) and non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs) (collectively “lenders”) are raising with regard to the CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) participation and related risks. Listen here.

As the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread, Troutman Sanders and Pepper Hamilton have developed a dedicated COVID-19 Resource Center to guide clients through this unprecedented global health challenge. Click here to access the Resource Center. They will regularly update this page with COVID-19 news and developments, recommendations from leading health organizations, and tools that businesses can use free of charge.

Recent Blog Post: Coronavirus and OSHA: What Employers Need to Know

TSYS, a Global payments company  (vba endorsed provider)

Blog Post: What Issuers Are Doing to Foster Cardholder Loyalty Long After COVID-19 

Blog Post: What You Need to Know About Accepting Payments During COVID-19  

WolfPAC Solutions and Wolf & Company  

New Guidance: PPP Loan Forgiveness Webinar 

Whether you’re a lender or a borrower, new guidance released by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) pertaining to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan forgiveness has raised several questions and concerns. In this webinar, they discuss:

  • What documentation has to be submitted and retained to qualify
  • What expenses qualify for forgiveness
  • Considerations when calculating the reduction in forgiveness
  • The responsibilities of the lender  

Wolf & Company provided a webinar on their response to COVID-19 and steps to take for continued operations during this interruption. You can access the recording here and the PDF slide deck here.

They have been helping clients validate that they are maintaining appropriate safeguards and controls through the following remotely executed services:

VBA Media Relations & Resources

  • VBA Newsroom – read recent VBA press releases and articles
  • VBA In the News – read recent mentions of VBA and VBA member banks in the news

Customizable covid-19 press releases & social media images

VBA Member Banks Twitter List

The VBA has put together a list of our member banks on Twitter. This is a finely-curated feed of all our member banks’ Twitter profiles, which displays only the tweets from those organizations. This is a great resource for viewing what other banks are doing and sharing at this truly unique time. Please be sure to pass this tool along to your marketing team. Don’t see your bank’s Twitter handle on the list? Email Chandler Owdom to be added to the list.