D.C. officials are pleading for patience from the business community as they roll out programs to assist companies and workers impacted by the coronavirus outbreak, reassuring the private sector that help is on the way.

The D.C. Council passed a series of measures designed to counteract the economic impacts “social distancing,” which is keeping people in their homes and shuttering local shops and restaurants. By early next week, applications should be open for those new programs, officials told business leaders on a conference call Thursday.

“We know how tough it is for you right now,” John Falcicchio, Mayor Muriel Bowser’s chief of staff and her acting deputy mayor for planning and economic development, said on the call. “We know how stressful of a time this for you.”

Specifically, DMPED is aiming to have grant applications open for small businesses by late Monday, or Tuesday at the latest. The program is designed to help firms cover everything from employee salaries and…