As the coronavirus (COVID-19) news, regulations and infection rate all grow day by day, keeping on top of the financial assistance available to independent contractors and small-business people can be challenging.

So too can keeping up on reliable sources of information about personal safety, self-care and the pandemic itself.

MASSAGE Magazines editors curated these one-click-away resources to help you connect to the most current information about financial assistance and loans; state regulations; news about the virus; and keeping yourself healthy and safe.

1. Small and midsize employers can begin taking advantage of two new refundable payroll tax credits, designed to immediately and fully reimburse them, dollar-for-dollar, for the cost of providing coronavirus-related leave to their employees, as announced by the U.S. Treasury Department, Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Department of Labor.

Refundable Payroll Tax Credits

2. The CARES Act promises unemployment benefits for independent contractors and loans for small-business people, among other things.

U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business Entrepreneurship Guide to the CARES Act

3. The CARES Act might not offer enough financial relief to Americans, according to finance experts. Conversations about an new act to help the Act are underway.

Forbes Report

4. The Small Business Administration is funding up to $2 million to small businesses and nonprofits experiencing disruption from coronavirus.

SBA Disaster Relief Funding

5. Some state boards of massage are allowing massage therapists to complete all required CE online; some are waiving fees; others are waiving CE. For the most accurate information, contact your state board directly.

Contact information for State Boards

6. Sometimes like this time, right now we have to do whatever we can to stay afloat. Get some nitty-gritty advice on saving, recycling and working (not as a massage therapist) in 21 Tips to Save Money, Cut Spending, and Keep Your Practice Poised to Re-Open With the Coronavirus Pandemic is Over.

21 Tips

7. You might reach, or have reached, a point where you need help feeding your family. Theres no shame in that. The United Ways COVID-19 Community Response and Recovery Fund will support communities throughout the U.S. with food, household supplies and more. MASSAGE Magazines advertisers are contributing to our Massage Relief Effort, which goes directly to the United Way. The link below takes you to a page where you can search state-by-state and county-by-county for assistance where you live.

United Way COVID-19 Community Response and Recovery Fund Local Responses

8. The Small Business Majority, a national small-business advocacy organization, maintains a COVID-19 resource page featuring articles and podcasts pertaining to both state and national topics.

SBM COVID-19 Page

9. NPRs map of the U.S. is updated daily and shows how many cases and deaths related to coronavirus have been reported in each state.

Map: Tracking the Spread of the Coronavirus in the U.S.

10. The New York Times, which normally keeps its content behind a paywall, has made all coronavirus-related coverage free of charge.

NYT Coronavirus Breaking News

11. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Preventions Coronavirus Disease 2019 page covers topics including health policy, its response to the pandemic, and helpful tips like how to wear cloth face masks and reduce stress.

CDC.gov

12. Coronavirus Daily is a daily news podcast all about the pandemic. Brought to you by NPR, it includes stories from NPRs science, international and business reporting teams, to name a few.

NPRs Coronavirus Daily Podcast

13. Grief. Stress. Anxiety. Fear. Most of us are feeling all of these emotions, one by one or sometimes all at once. The Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley offers articles, podcasts and videos on Self-Care, including Three Tips from a Therapist for Calming Your Coronavirus Anxiety.

Greater Good Science Center

14. Writing can help release emotions and provide a respite from stress. The article, Write to Heal from Trauma, Loss & Illness: 7 Prompts to Explore Now is designed to help.

Write for Self-Care

15. Yoga in your living room? Of course. You probably have some CDs ready to pop into the DVR player now. Did you know you can take free classes in yoga (and tai chi and hip hop dance and pretty much anything else that can be videotaped?) Welcome to YouTube.

Yoga for Vulnerability

16. A healthy immune system is always important; it builds physical resilience but do not believe anyone who says you can stave off the coronavirus with a strong immune system, as that is not proven.

Self-Care Habits to Benefit Your Immune System

17. Cooking every meal in ones home is a privilege and can get a bit stale. Plus, snacking. Still, the only podcast list we felt we should include here is the Top 10 from Taste of Home.

Taste of Home Top 10 Food Podcasts

Do you know of a source you think we should include in our next update? Email it to edit@massagemag.com. And stay healthy.

Karen Menehan is MASSAGE Magazines editor in chief. Her coronavirus coverage includes Massage Therapists Who are Independent Contractors or Business Owners will Benefit from CARES Act Approved by Congress; Help During the Coronavirus Pandemic: Massage Relief Effort FAQ and Coronavirus and Its Impact on the Massage Industry.

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Do You Need Help? Here are 17 Resources on Finances, Business & Self-Care for Massage Therapists Coping with the COVID-19 Shut-Down - Massage...