Coronavirus – Glossary of Terms

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GNYADA is continuing to assist dealers with all aspects of managing COVID-19 related issues impacting your businesses. This year we all had to learn about rules for quarantine and know what to do when an employee is exposed to COVID-19 or test positive for COVID-19.  There was financial relief with a whole new set of vocabulary words too.  Keeping up with new words and acronyms has been a challenge in 2020. Below, GNYADA has compiled some of the common terms used this year to help you keep up.

CDC = The nation's health protection agency that provides health information that protects our nation against expensive and dangerous health threats and responds when these arise.

NYSDOH = New York State Department of Health is the local authority which sets the final guidelines for New Yorkers based on local conditions and needs. 

General

COVID-19 = Name of the disease caused by the new coronavirus

EO = Governor Cuomo’s Executive Orders.  Starting with declaration of essential businesses.

In March through revision of travel guidance where travelers arriving in New York must quarantine or test out of quarantine following specific rules.

PPE = Personal Protective Equipment (Face Covering, masks, gloves)

General Duty Clause = OSHA requirement that all employers provide a work environment "free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm.” COVID-19 is recognized as a hazard.

Exposure = NYSDOH defines close contact as someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 10 minutes starting from 48 hours before the onset of COVID-19 until the time the person isolated.

NY Safety Plan = New York Safety Plan Completed Template

  • Interim Guidance for Vehicle Sales, Leases, and Rentals During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency

  • Reopening New York: Vehicle Sales, Leases, and Rentals Guidelines for Employers and Employees

Travelers to NY = All travelers entering New York from a state that is not a contiguous state, or from a CDC Level 2 or 3 Travel Health Notice country, shall quarantine for a period of 14 days, consistent with Department of Health regulations for quarantine, unless: Interim Guidance for Quarantine Restrictions on Travelers Arriving in New York State Following Out of State Travel 2 1. For travelers who traveled outside of New York for more than 24 hours, such travelers must obtain testing within 72 hours prior to arrival in New York, AND 2. Such travelers must, upon arrival in New York, quarantine according to Department of Health guidelines, for a minimum of three days, measured from time of arrival, and on day 4 may seek a diagnostic test to exit quarantine. For travelers that meet the criteria above, the traveler may exit quarantine upon receipt of the second negative test result. Contiguous states are Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont.

 Isolation = Separates sick people with a contagious disease from people who are not sick

Quarantine = Is used to keep someone who might have been exposed to COVID-19 away from others. Quarantine helps prevent spread of disease that can occur before a person knows they are sick or if they are infected with the virus without feeling symptoms. People in quarantine should stay home, separate themselves from others, monitor their health, and follow directions from their state or local health department.

Daily Screening = All employees and visitors (not customers) must complete a questionnaire prior to entering the dealership.  If there are any positive responses to the questions, that employee or visitor cannot enter the dealership. 

Leaves of Absence

EFMLA =  Emergency Family & Medical Leave Expansion Act under FFCRA

  • Up to an additional 10 weeks of paid expanded family and medical leave at two-thirds the employee’s regular rate of pay if an employee is unable to work due to a bona fide need for leave to care for a child whose school or childcare provider is closed or unavailable for reasons related to COVID-19.

FFCRA = Families First Coronavirus Relief Act. 

  • Provides sick and family leave benefits to employees and employers.

EPSLA = Emergency Paid Sick Leave under the FFCRA

  • Two weeks (up to 80 hours) of paid sick leave at the employee’s regular rate of pay where the employee is unable to work because the employee is quarantined (pursuant to Federal, State, or local government order or advice of a health care provider), and/or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and seeking a medical diagnosis; or

  • Two weeks (up to 80 hours) of paid sick leave at two-thirds the employee’s regular rate of pay because the employee is unable to work because of a bona fide need to care for an individual subject to quarantine (pursuant to Federal, State, or local government order or advice of a health care provider), or care for a child (under 18 years of age) whose school or child care provider is closed or unavailable for reasons related to COVID-19, and/or the employee is experiencing a substantially similar condition.

NYEPSL = New York Emergency Paid Sick Leave

  • Employee must be subject to a mandatory or precautionary order of quarantine/isolation.

NYEPFL = New York Emergency Paid Family Leave

  • Employee must be subject to a mandatory or precautionary order of quarantine/isolation; or

  • Employee’s child is subject to a mandatory or precautionary order of quarantine/isolation.

NYSPSL = New York Paid Sick Leave

  • Employers with 5-99 employees must provide up to 40 hours of paid sick leave per year.

  • Employers with 100 or more employees must provide up to 56 hours of paid sick leave per year.

Eligibility for taking leave:

  • Employee or family member’s physical illness, injury or health condition;

  • Diagnosis, care or treatment of an employee or family member; or

  • Absence because employee or family member is a victim of domestic violence, a family offense, sexual offense, stalking or human trafficking, and obtaining services, getting to safety, meeting with an attorney, filing a complaint, enrolling children in new school, or similar actions.

PFL = New York Paid Family Leave (not COVID-19 related)

  • Available to employees to care for a family member with a serious health condition.

  • Cannot be used for the employee’s own serious health condition.

  • Provides up to 10 weeks of job-protected paid family leave benefits

  • As of January 1, 2021, PFL benefits increase to 67% of average weekly wage up to a cap of $971.61

FMLA = Family Medical Leave Act

  • Available to employees with a serious health condition, or for the serious health condition of a family member.

  • Provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid family leave benefits.

NYCESSTA = New York City Earned Safe and Sick Time Act

  • Employers with 5-99 employees must provide up to 40 hrs of paid sick leave per year.

  • Employers with 100+ employees must provide up to 56 hrs of paid sick leave per year.

  • Eligibility for taking leave:

  • Employee or family member’s physical illness, injury or health condition;

  • Diagnosis, care or treatment of an employee or family member; or

  • Closure of employee’s place of business by order of a public official, or employee’s need to care for a child whose school or childcare provider is closed due to a public health emergency; or

  • Absence because employee or family member is a victim of domestic violence, a family offense, sexual offense, stalking or human trafficking.

WESLL = Westchester Earned Sick Leave Law

  • Available to employees for the care and treatment of employee’s own health condition or the care and treatment of a family member.

  • Can be used for an employee’s need to care for a child whose school or care facility is closed as a result of a declared public health emergency.

  • Provides up to 40 hours of paid sick leave for employers with 5 or more employees.

  • If the employer provides time off for other purposes, such as vacation or personal leave, the employer does not have to provide additional time for ESLL.

Financial Assistance

PPP = Paycheck Protection Program

  • Provides loans to small businesses that will be forgiven if funds are used for eligible expenses and employees are retained at required criteria.  Unforgiven amount becomes a loan at 1% interest rate.

EIDL = Economic Injury Disaster Loan

  • EIDL is designed to provide economic relief to businesses that are currently experiencing a temporary loss of revenue. EIDL proceeds can be used to cover a wide array of working capital and normal operating expenses, such as continuation to health care benefits, rent, utilities, and fixed debt payments.