Skip to main content
Global Edition
Thursday, March 28, 2024

Small businesses feeling impacts of local state of emergency

Credit: WMGT
Duration: 0 shares 1 views

Small businesses feeling impacts of local state of emergency
Small businesses feeling impacts of local state of emergency
Macon-Bibb is now under a local state of emergency.

I'm shelby coates.

Tucker sargent will join us shortly... as we practice social distancing here in the studio.

Our top story tonight at 6: macon-bibb is now under a local state of emergency.

It went into effect at 5:15 this evening.

41nbc's tanya modersitzki has more... on the declaration and its impact on small businesses.

(:05) (:15) (:56) (2:05) i've got a copy of mayor robert reichert's local state of emergency declaration he signed this afternoon.

He says over the last week ..

He trusted residents to follow the center of diease control's recommendations without government enforcement, but says he realized people weren't so the government had to step in.

"we dont want to see any of our local fellow businesses go out of business including ourselves."

Here in downtown macon ..

At the peak of the lunch hour rush ..

Where people are usually enjoying their lunch break ..

It's now ... a quite different scene..

With no hustle and bustle because of the covid-19 pandemic.

*nats* although many restaurants are now strictly doing pick up and curbside services ..

Mayor robert reichert says people and other businesses are not following the center of disease control's recommendations of social distancing.

"since thursday it's apparant that far too many of us are not taking this virus seriously enough."

Which is why on monday, reichert declared a local state of emergency..

And the closure of non-essential businesses.

This includes gyms ..

Salons ..

Malls ..

Movie theaters ..

And others similar to close.

Remaining open are necesseties like grocery stores and hospitals.

Restaurants can still do pick up, curbside service ..

Or drive through.

"it is put in place with knowledge that it will be a serious challenge for our families it will do financial damage to business that close and constitute an impairment of comere of all types but it is essential to prevent the spread of the virus."

Those feeling the impacts the most: small busineses.

Brent meyer with 7th street salvage says the hardest thing to do, was let some of his employees go.

""we didn't know if there was going to be a business to come back to if we didnt start making some changes" meyer says he's trying to focus on the good ..

Which is unity.

"i have noticed a lot of resiliance even in the face of uncertainty one of the thing i found comforting in the community has reached out" c1 3 b13 the declaration is currently effective and goes until april 6th at 11:59

You might like

Related news coverage

Advertisement

More coverage