COVID19 Updates - COVID19 - Land Surveyors United - Global Surveying Community2024-03-28T19:04:20Zhttps://landsurveyorsunited.com/covid19/feed/category/COVID19+UpdatesGNSS Pioneer Javad Ashjaee Dies from Coronavirushttps://landsurveyorsunited.com/covid19/gnss-pioneer-javad-ashjaee-dies-from-coronavirus2020-06-01T19:13:58.000Z2020-06-01T19:13:58.000ZJustin Farrowhttps://landsurveyorsunited.com/surveyors/justin<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/5493297269?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=300"></div><div><p><span style="font-size:14pt;">It is with great sadness that we report to you today that Dr. Javad Ashjaee has passed away due to COVID-19 Coronavirus. As <a href="https://amerisurv.com/2020/05/31/gnss-industry-pioneer-javad-ashjaee-dies-from-coronavirus/" target="_blank">Mark Cheves, PS of American Surveyor states</a>, "The surveying community owes a debt of gratitude to Javad. He could have turned his brilliance toward anything electronic, but instead he chose to focus on the precise use of GNSS. At a time when the rest of the industry was dissing GLONASS, he tirelessly worked with Russian colleagues to make its use a reality. He went on to innovate many features that are now common-place."</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">The JAVAD GNSS announcement can be found here: <a href="https://javad.com/jgnss/" target="_blank">https://javad.com/jgnss/</a></span></p>
<p>Products: <a href="https://javad.com/jgnss/javad/news/pr20111228.html" target="_blank">https://javad.com/jgnss/javad/news/pr20111228.html</a></p>
<p>Inventions: <a href="https://patents.justia.com/inventor/javad-ashjaee?page=5" target="_blank">https://patents.justia.com/inventor/javad-ashjaee?page=5</a></p></div>Curated List of Companies that are offering Free or discounted products during the COVID-19 crisis.https://landsurveyorsunited.com/covid19/curated-list-of-companies-that-are-offering-free-or-discounted-pr2020-04-10T21:46:15.000Z2020-04-10T21:46:15.000Z⚡Survenator⌁https://landsurveyorsunited.com/surveyors/Survenator<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/4385272403?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p><span style="font-size:14pt;">During this time of <a href="https://landsurveyorsunited.com/covid19/">COVID-19</a>, many companies are offering <strong><em>Free or Discounted</em></strong> products and services for individuals and businesses in need. If your surveying company is in need of help, perhaps the resources in the following <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1IKGHkL18_wwOmLynsE5jYXIu1yvNTHI8hEUjAIVfrHI/edit#gid=0" target="_blank">curated spreadsheet</a> will help.</span></p>
<p><iframe style="width:100%;height:700px;" src="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vQm3QAbqGGF78kcdvuDVzY4bKP_4eTSsJmk2KpaU8_Rl81_GXwjZ-329Vrl7d4QvwUbSVVUy0O3UB4m/pubhtml?widget=true&headers=false"></iframe></p></div>Resource: Corona By Country Tracks All Countries Latest COVID-19 Updates and Articleshttps://landsurveyorsunited.com/covid19/resource-corona-by-country-tracks-all-countries-latest-covid-19-u2020-04-02T23:18:48.000Z2020-04-02T23:18:48.000ZJustin Farrowhttps://landsurveyorsunited.com/surveyors/justin<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/4307472708?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><div><span style="font-size:14pt;"><a href="https://coronabycountry.com/" target="_blank">Corona By Country</a> is an endless news feed of COVID-19 stories from reputable, local publications in over a hundred countries, all translated to English.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size:14pt;"> </span></div>
<div><span style="font-size:14pt;">We show you how the world is dealing with the virus.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size:14pt;">We process a massive stream of news provided by the excellent European Commission project, MediSys, curate it to focus on stories about a given country, and for readers of English, automatically translate any foreign language stories to provide as complete as possible a picture of how the world is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.</span></div></div>COVID-19 and Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologistshttps://landsurveyorsunited.com/covid19/covid-19-board-for-professional-engineers-land-surveyors-geolists2020-03-31T22:32:34.000Z2020-03-31T22:32:34.000Z⚡Survenator⌁https://landsurveyorsunited.com/surveyors/Survenator<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/4287590665?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><div class="panel-heading">
<h3><span style="font-size:14pt;"> NEW AND IMPORTANT UPDATES - <a href="https://www.bpelsg.ca.gov/" target="_blank">View Live Updates On Official Website</a></span></h3>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>UPDATED WITH NEW INFORMATION - MARCH 20, 2020</strong> - While California continues to navigate the uncertainty of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and limit its spread, the Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists is committed to supporting our licensees, applicants, and consumers, as well as our staff, throughout the course of this pandemic and to providing continuity of service at all times. The Board is closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation, coordinating with state and local governments, and working with our partners to protect the health of Californians.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>As of March 20, 2020, the Board Office is closed to the general public until further notice.</strong> The office remains open for Board staff at this time, and we are working diligently to continue business as normal. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work on implementing new technologies for our staff to work remotely and adhere to social distancing guidelines. We apologize for any delays in reaching our staff or potential delays in our processing times. Please utilize our online resources for <a href="https://www.bpelsg.ca.gov/applicants/index.shtml">applications</a>, <a href="https://www.bpelsg.ca.gov/applicants/exam.shtml">examination information</a>, <a href="https://www.bpelsg.ca.gov/licensees/renewal_info.shtml">license renewals</a>, <a href="https://www.bpelsg.ca.gov/consumers/complaint_licensee.shtml">complaint submission</a>, <a href="https://www.bpelsg.ca.gov/consumers/lic_lookup.shtml">license verification</a>, <a href="https://www.bpelsg.ca.gov/about_us/contact.shtml">contacting Board staff via email</a>, and viewing the latest Board news.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">More information about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms and prevention can be found <a href="https://www.dca.ca.gov/consumers/coronavirus.shtml">HERE</a>.</span></p>
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<li><span style="font-size:14pt;">POSTED MARCH 23, 2020 - The Board's <a href="https://www.bpelsg.ca.gov/about_us/bpelsg_2019_leadership_accountability_report.pdf">2019 Leadership Accountability Report</a> has been accepted by the California Department of Finance.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>UPDATED WITH NEW INFORMATION - MARCH 20, 2020</strong> - The Board has received inquiries from licensees about whether their work is considered "essential" under Executive Order N-33-20, issued by Governor Gavin Newsom on March 19. However, the Board does <strong>not</strong> have the authority to make this determination. The Executive Order provided a stay at home order except as needed to maintain the continuity of operations of the federal critical infrastructure sectors. The Executive Order referred to the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which provides guidance regarding the identification of essential critical infrastructure workers. CISA has prepared a <a href="https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/CISA-Guidance-on-Essential-Critical-Infrastructure-Workers-1-20-508c.pdf">document</a> to provide guidance when determining whether your business provides essential or non-essential services and whether you should remain open. You should also check with your local county health department to determine what activities are also considered essential and non-essential.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:14pt;">UPDATED MARCH 17, 2020 - NCEES has announced that the April 2020 paper-and-pencil exam administration has been canceled and that its computer-based testing (CBT) examinations have temporarily ceased to be administered through at least April 16, 2020. Please visit their website for additional details and information: <a href="https://ncees.org/covid-19/">ncees.org/COVID-19</a>. Questions regarding the NCEES examinations should be directed to NCEES at NCEES.org or 800-250-3196.</span></li>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">ANNOUNCED MARCH 17, 2020 - Prometric has temporarily closed their test centers in the United States and Canada for a period of 30 days, starting March 18. Prometric will contact all exam candidates who are scheduled for exams during this period and will reschedule their testing appointment. Please read their <a href="https://www.prometric.com/corona-virus-update">announcement</a> for further information. Questions regarding this should be directed to Prometric at Prometric.com or 1-800-864-5316.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">The California State Land Surveyor exam is currently scheduled for administration at Prometric test centers for April 16, 2020. This date will remain as scheduled unless Prometric extends their site closures. The Board will be monitoring this situation and will advise exam candidates if the exam date changes.</span></p>
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<li><span style="font-size:14pt;">ANNOUNCED MARCH 13, 2020 - After much consideration regarding the pandemic of COVID-19, and in an effort to protect the public health and well-being, the ASBOG Fundamentals of Geology (FG) and Practice of Geology (PG) exams, scheduled for March 20, 2020, at California State University, Long Beach, have been canceled. Please read the <a href="https://www.bpelsg.ca.gov/applicants/cancellation_asbog_exams.pdf">Board announcement</a> for more information.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:14pt;">NOTICED MARCH 10, 2020 - The Board is proposing to amend Title 16, California Code of Regulations sections 416, 418, 3060, and 3061 relating to the substantial relationship criteria and the criteria for rehabilitation. The Notice, Initial Statement of Reasons, and Text of the Proposal are available on the <a href="https://www.bpelsg.ca.gov/about_us/rulemaking.shtml">Rulemaking page</a>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:14pt;">ADDED FEBRUARY 25, 2020 - NCEES is seeking licensed civil engineers to participate in an <a href="https://ncees.org/ncees-seeks-civil-engineers-professional-expertise-and-advice/">online survey</a> as part of the professional activities and knowledge study for the PE Civil exam. This survey will be used to update the specifications for the exam.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:14pt;">ANNOUNCED JANUARY 31, 2020 - The Traffic Engineer examination will be expanding its testing administration window beginning with the Fall 2020 exam. Previously, the examination window to take the Traffic Engineer examination was one day a year in the fall. This examination will transition from a one-day-a-year exam to a 15-day scheduling availability per year. The Board is expanding the window to provide more opportunities for eligible candidates to schedule this 8-hour examination. Scheduling for this examination is now open to eligible candidates for the 2020 Traffic Engineer exam through our examination vendor, <a href="https://www.prometric.com/test-takers/BPELSG">Prometric, Inc</a>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:14pt;">ANNOUNCED JANUARY 9, 2020 - <a href="https://www.bpelsg.ca.gov/applicants/ncees_exams_2020.pdf">NCEES updates for 2020 Examinations</a>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:14pt;">FRAUD SCAM ALERT DECEMBER 20, 2019 - The Board and the Department of Consumer Affairs have been made aware of a fraud scam targeting licensees. Read the Department's <a href="https://www.dca.ca.gov/licensees/scam_alert.shtml">Fraud Scam Alert</a> for more information about the scam and tips on how to avoid and report fraud scams.</span></li>
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</div></div>Doug Ducey Arizona Gov. issues statewide stay-at-home orderhttps://landsurveyorsunited.com/covid19/doug-ducey-arizona-gov-issues-statewide-stay-at-home-order2020-03-30T22:20:50.000Z2020-03-30T22:20:50.000Z⚡Survenator⌁https://landsurveyorsunited.com/surveyors/Survenator<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/4278316580?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div>PHOENIX — Gov. Doug Ducey is ordering all Arizona residents to remain in their homes for the next month except for essential needs to limit the spread of the coronavirus, which has infected more than 1,000 people in the state.
The stay-at-home executive order is set to take effect Tuesday at 5 p.m. and remain in effect at least until April 30.
<blockquote class="embedly-card"><h4><a href="https://ktar.com/story/3036957/arizona-gov-doug-ducey-issues-statewide-stay-at-home-order/">Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey issues statewide stay-at-home order</a></h4><p>PHOENIX - Gov. Doug Ducey is ordering all Arizona residents to remain in their homes except for essential needs to limit the spread of the coronavirus, which has infected more than 1,000 people in the state. The stay-at-home order, which takes effect Tuesday at close of business, will still allow residents to go out for essential services such as buying groceries and medicine.</p></blockquote>
<script src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/platform.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<iframe src="https://omny.fm/shows/ktar-reporter-audio/az-coronavirus-cases-surpass-1-000-schools-closed/embed" width="100%" height="180" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>Official COVID19 Announcements from NSPShttps://landsurveyorsunited.com/covid19/official-covid19-announcements-from-nsps2020-03-30T20:01:04.000Z2020-03-30T20:01:04.000Z⚡Survenator⌁https://landsurveyorsunited.com/surveyors/Survenator<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/4277443118?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=300"></div><div><table id="SpSubHead" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
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<p><a href="https://www.nsps.us.com/resource/resmgr/1covid19/English_Coronavirus1.pdf">Information about the Coronavirus</a></p>
<p>Recognizing that federal legislation addressing the COVID-19 pandemic won’t be final until the Senate and House reach agreement, NSPS wants to share with members the information that is known from time to time. Below is a summary of the current situation provided by American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC). </p>
<p><strong>Business Tax Relief</strong></p>
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<li>Deferral of payment of the employer portion of the Social Security tax, with half due by December 31, 2021 and the other half due by December 31, 2022.</li>
<li>Allows net operating losses arising in 2018, 2019 and 2020 to be carried back for five years.</li>
<li>Modifies the loss limitation applicable to passthroughs and sole proprietors so they can utilize excess business losses and access cash flow.</li>
<li>Increases business interest deductibility from 30 to 50 percent for 2019 and 2020.</li>
<li>Provides a refundable payroll tax credit for employers whose operations are partially or fully suspended by a COVID-19 shutdown order or whose gross receipts declined by more than 50 percent compared to the same quarter in the prior year.</li>
<li>Provides a technical fix for the qualified leasehold improvement provision in the TCJA.</li>
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<p><strong>Small Business Assistance</strong></p>
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<li>Provides $562 million for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) to small businesses. </li>
<li>The package also authorizes $350 billion worth of 100 percent guaranteed SBA loans, a portion of which SBA will forgive based on allowable expenses for the borrower. </li>
<li>This small business package also includes $10 billion in direct grants for businesses that do not qualify for the EIDL program, and $17 billion to have SBA step in and make six months of principle and interest payments for all SBA backed business loans. </li>
<li>Establishes the maximum 7(a) loan amount to $10 million through December 31, 2020 and provides a formula by which the loan amount is tied to payroll costs incurred by the business to determine the size of the loan.</li>
<li>Note that 501 c(3) non-profits qualify for small business assistance programs, not 501 c(6) entities; ACEC will work with ASAE and other associations to address in the next package.</li>
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<p><strong>Individual Assistance</strong></p>
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<li>The agreement provides direct payments to individuals with incomes up to $75,000 ($150,000 for couples), $1,200 for each adult ($2400 for couples), as well as $500 for each child.<br /><br /></li>
<li>The bill would add $600 per person per week onto the base maximum unemployment benefit for four months.<br /><br /></li>
<li>The bill enables employers to provide a student loan repayment benefit to employees on a tax-free basis, contributing up to $5,250 annually toward an employee’s student loans, and such payment would be excluded from the employee’s income. The $5,250 cap applies to both the new student loan repayment benefit as well as other educational assistance (e.g., tuition, fees, books) provided by the employer under current law. The provision applies to any student loan payments made by an employer on behalf of an employee after date of enactment and before January 1, 2021. <strong>Note that this provision is based on legislation that ACEC has advocated for to Congress as part of the Council’s workforce agenda.</strong></li>
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<p><strong>Transportation</strong></p>
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<li>$25 billion for mass transit systems
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<li>Available for operating expenses to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19, and reimbursement for lost revenue</li>
<li>Distributed under current transit program formulas</li>
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<li>$10 billion for airports
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<li>$7.4 billion available for any purpose, distributed 50/50 by number of enplanements and ratio of overall debt service</li>
<li>$2 billion for AIP formula grants, available for any purpose</li>
<li>$500 million to cover the 100% federal cost share of FY20 programs</li>
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<li>$1 billion for passenger rail
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<li>$492 million for Amtrak Northeast Corridor, to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19</li>
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<p><strong>State Assistance</strong> -- Provides $150 billion to States, Territories, and Tribal governments to use for expenditures incurred due to the public health emergency with respect to COVID-19 in the face of revenue declines, allocated by population proportions, with a minimum of $1.25 billion for states with relatively small populations.</p>
<p><strong>Community Development Block Grant </strong>–<strong> </strong>$5 billion is provided for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program to enable nearly 1,240 states, counties, and cities to rapidly respond to COVID-19 and the economic and housing impacts caused by it, including the expansion of community health facilities, child care centers, food banks, and senior services. </p>
<p><strong>Treasury’s Exchange Stabilization Fund</strong> -- Provides $500 billion for loans, loan guarantees, and other investments, distributed as follows:</p>
<ul>
<li>$25 billion for passenger air carriers, eligible businesses that are certified under part 145 of title 15, Code of Federal Regulations, and approved to perform inspection, repair, replace, or overhaul services, and ticket agents;</li>
<li>$4 billion for cargo air carriers; and</li>
<li>$17 billion for businesses important to maintaining national security;</li>
<li>$454 billion, as well as any amounts available but not used for direct lending, for loans, loan guarantees, and investments in support of the Federal Reserve’s lending facilities to eligible businesses, states, and municipalities. Federal Reserve 13(3) lending is a critical tool that can be used in times of crisis to help mitigate extraordinary pressure in financial markets that would otherwise have severe adverse consequences for households, businesses, and the U.S. economy.</li>
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<p><a href="https://www.nsps.us.com/resource/resmgr/1covid19/CARES_Section-by-Section_FIN.pdf">CARES Section by Section </a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.nsps.us.com/resource/resmgr/1covid19/Coronavirus_Supplemental_App.pdf">Coronavirus Supplemental Appropriations Summary</a></p>
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