The Corporation maintains an Internet site at www.mybank.com on which it makes available, free of charge, its Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and all amendments to the foregoing as soon as reasonably practicable after these reports are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC.
COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely impacted our business and financial results and that of many of our customers, and the ultimate impact will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain, cannot be predicted, and are largely outside of our control, including the scope and duration of the pandemic and actions taken by governmental authorities in response to the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has created extensive disruptions to the global and U.S. economies and to the lives of individuals throughout the world. Governments, businesses, and the public are taking unprecedented actions to contain the spread of COVID-19 and to mitigate its effects, including closures of businesses and schools, fiscal and monetary stimulus, and legislation designed to deliver financial aid and other relief. While the scope, duration, and full effects of COVID-19 are not fully known, the pandemic and the efforts to contain it have disrupted global economic activity, adversely affected the functioning of financial markets, impacted market interest rates, increased economic and market uncertainty, and disrupted trade and supply chains.
Congress, the President, and the FRB have taken several actions designed to cushion the economic fallout. Most notably, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”), a $2 trillion legislative package, was signed into law at the end of March 2020. The goal of the CARES Act is to prevent a severe economic downturn through various measures, including direct financial aid to American families and economic stimulus to significantly impacted industry sectors, such as by providing funds for loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (the “PPP”) administered by the Small Business Administration (the “SBA”). Section 4013 of the CARES Act, “Temporary Relief from Troubled Debt Restructurings,” provides banks the option to temporarily suspend certain requirements under U.S. GAAP related to trouble debt restructurings (“TDRs”) for a limited period of time to account for the effects of COVID-19. Additionally, the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act (the “Economic Aid Act”) was enacted on December 27, 2020 and provided for a second round of PPP loans. The PPP Extension Act of 2021, which was enacted on March 30, 2021, extended the PPP application deadline to May 31, 2021 and provided the SBA with additional time to process applications through June 30, 2021. Also, the Consolidated Appropriations Act (the “CAA”) passed on December 27, 2020, which, among other things, extended the provisions of Section 4013 of the CARES Act to January 1, 2022. The Federal Reserve’s actions have included cutting the federal funds rate 150 basis points and targeting a 0 to 25 basis point rate. In addition to the general impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, certain provisions of the CARES Act as well as other legislative and regulatory relief efforts are expected to have a material impact on the Corporation’s operations.
During the first nine months of 2021, we continued to assist our business customers with the PPP loan forgiveness process and to originate additional PPP loans through the third round of funding. We remained diligent in protecting our associates and customers from the lingering effects of the pandemic, delaying opening our lobbies until April 1, 2021. During the third quarter, we made the decision to reclose our lobbies as COVID cases increased in most of our markets and staffing was at reduced levels. Many of our sales and support employees continue to work remotely as we have adjusted to a hybrid work environment. We have continued to monitor our market areas, maintaining travel protocols and utilizing safety precautions while continuing to provide full banking services to our customers.
The Corporation continues to actively participate in the PPP. On January 19, 2021, the SBA implemented a third round of funding for PPP loans.
During 2020, the Corporation originated a total of $148.5 million in PPP loans under the first and second rounds of funding, consisting of 1,174 loans with an average loan size of $162 thousand. During 2021, the Corporation originated a total of $66.1 million in PPP loans under the third round of funding, consisting of 870 loans with an average loan size of $80 thousand.
Net PPP origination fees recognized in the first nine months of 2021 were $3.2 million due to amortization and forgiveness, compared to $2.4 million in 2020.
During 2020, 290 PPP loans, totaling $34.5 million were forgiven, resulting in 885 loans with a remaining balance of $114.0 million at December 31, 2020. During the first nine months of 2021, an additional 1,384 PPP loans originated under all three rounds, with an aggregate principal balance of $150.0 million, were forgiven, resulting in 371 PPP loans with a total remaining balance of $30.3 million at September 30, 2021.