ST. CLAIRSVILLE — With no apparent end in sight to the COVID-19 pandemic, Belmont County businesses continue to work together to improve safety and promote themselves.

The Belmont County Safety Council continues to meet online and provide resources to business owners. Last Tuesday, business owners and experts tuned in to a virtual meeting and heard from Lisa Orr, senior human factor consultant, risk services, with Sedgwick CMS, who spoke about ways to more efficiently work from home.

Lorilee Broderson, marketing and events administrator at the St. Clairsville Area Chamber of Commerce, said the conference was positive, but since members were not meeting in person there are no longer tax credit incentives offered to participating businesses. She said prior to the pandemic, about 90 people would attend monthly luncheons.

“With regard to the Safety Council, the thing people are most concerned about is the tax credits,” she said. “Because they are not having meetings, they are not giving tax credits for this (fiscal) year. The Zoom calls are just voluntary at this point. We as the chamber of commerce have decided to continue to sponsor those and make them available to people.”

Broderson pointed out Thursday’s conference had 72 people registered to listen and participate, and at least 61 people attended.

“We’ve been pleasantly surprised,” she said.

The chamber also receives frequent questions about Workers’ Compensation, which are referred to CareWorks and other sources.

“We … can help folks get breaks on their Workers’ Comp insurance and their issues,” Broderson said.

“I think what everybody needs is traffic, and that’s what we’re trying to provide them through the chamber … an extra arm to help them on their businesses and keep their businesses safe,” she said. “If they’re looking for someone to help them do sanitization, we have several chamber members who do that, and we can happily refer to them.”

Next month, they will have a speaker from the National Weather Association.

Chamber Director Wendy Anderson said the chamber continues to offer opportunities to learn and cooperate.

“People are interested and they still want that connection … and that networking,” she said, adding other networking opportunities are also provided. “They are wanting to connect, they are wanting to network. The St. Clairsville Chamber is all about networking and connecting businesses. … We’re taking the COVID very serious, but you have to be able to continue to run your business. You have to be able to continue to support local businesses.”