In March, as it became clear the the coronavirus pandemic was going to hurt small businesses across Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf launched a $61 million fund — the COVID-19 Working Capital Access Program — to dole out up to $100,000 to businesses with fewer than 100 employees.

It was one of a handful of relief options that have since been made available to Pennsylvania business owners: In June, for instance, Wolf announced $225 million in grants for for small businesses that were impacted by the public health crisis and subsequent business closure order. The federal government and the City of Philadelphia have offered relief programs in the form of grants and loans up to this point, but recovery for many businesses will be a long road — in June, the National Bureau of Economic Research officially dubbed the U.S.’s economic downturn a recession.

About four months after the initial three-year, interest-free loans were announced, only 41 of the 761 loans went to minority-owned businesses and the funding had run out in about six days, Spotlight PA reported this week. That’s about 5%, according to new numbers released by state economic development officials.

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