COVID update: Self-employed grants; hotels can fill up; scammers keep busy

Self-employed people will soon be able to apply for COVID-19 payouts just as small businesses have done.

Businesses with a single employee located in New Hampshire that had gross receipts of under $1 million last year will be eligible for up to $50,000 from federal CARES Act funding, Gov. Sununu said Thursday. Applications will be accepted starting July 6.

The businesses must be for-profit – there is a separate fund for non-profits – and cannot have been shut down or gone into bankruptcy. If the owner has collected unemployment, some of that amount may be deducted from the grant, depending on circumstances.

Hotels and campgrounds can fill up starting next Monday. They are currently limited to 50% occupancy or less.

Out-of-state visitors are supposed to guarantee that they have quarantined for 14 days.

The Federal Trade Commission has received more than 1,000 reports from New Hampshire of scammers seeking to take advantage of people during the coronavirus pandemic, resulting in about $1.5 million in losses, according to U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan.

“These scams take many forms, including offering expedited access to economic stimulus payments for a fee, impersonating public health officials, and selling phony products that they claim can prevent or cure COVID-19,” Hassan and U.S. Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware, both Democrats, wrote in a letter Thursday to several federal agencies. They added, “Government and industry should always cooperate to fight illegal robocalls, but it is even more critical at a time when so many Americans are facing economic and health concerns.”

The senators are asking for information about how the agencies are working together to take enforcement actions against COVID-19-related scammers. In addition to the FTC, they addressed the Internal Revenue Service; Department of Justice; and Federal Communications Commission.

The senators are also following up on a letter they sent to the IRS requesting information on what it is doing to protect Americans from scams related to stimulus payments.

The annual Funds for Education golf tournament held by the Concord Chamber of Commerce has added a wrinkle this year for people concerned about being part of a group event due to COVID-19: You can play a round at Beaver Meadow Golf Course prior to the tournament and submit your score by e-mail.

The event is a major fundraiser for the chamber.

To register, check the Chamber’s website by July 6.