Small business owners struggle during COVID-19

Restaurants and parks, in mississippi, will reopen for the first time since March.

ABOUT GRANT PROGRAMS FOR SMALLBUSINESSES BUT NO ONEIS CERTAIN HOW MUCH MONEY ANDFOR HOWLONG.FOR A LOT OF THESE BUSINESSOWNERS..GETTING BACK TO PARTIALBUSINESS HASONLY SLIGHTLY LESSENED THE BLOWOFBUSINESS DURING A PANDEMIC.

AT THE OLIVE BRANCH."WE ARE A FLORIST AND GIFT SHOPINCLINTON, MS."THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS OFCURBSIDE ANDONLINE BUSINESS HAS HELPED EASETHE BURDEN OF BEING SHUT DOWNFOR THE EARLYPART OF THE PANDEMIC."IT IS BETTER BUT IT IS NOTWHERE ITNEEDS TO BE."THEY ARE OPERATING AT 10 PERCENTOF THEIRUSUAL BUSINESS FLOW..AND THOSEWORKERS WHO HAVE BEEN BROUGHTBACK ARE NOT WORKING FULL TIMEHOURS."WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IS GOING TOHAPPEN ARE WE GOING TO HAVEANOTHER BIG UPROAR OF THISAND HAVE TO SHUT DOWN." SO MANYQUESTIONS ABOUT THE UNKNOWN ANDWHAT STATE LAWMAKERS WILL DO FORSMALL BUSINESS OPERATIONS WHENTHEYRETURN THURSDAY FOR A SPECIALSESSION.LAWMAKERS SAY THEY WILL MAP OUTA PLAN TOUSE A PORTION OF THEONE-POINT-TWO BILLIONDOLLARS IN CARES ACT MONEY ,,,TOHELP THEM."IT HAS BEEN INTERESTING I THASBEEN A RIDE FOR SURE."AT THE BARRELHOUSE RESTAURANT INFONDRENTHEY JUST STARTED BACK WITHCURBSIDE SERVICE."WE ARE RUNNING WITH A LIMITEDSTAFF WE HAVE HAD TO LAY OFFSOME EMPLOYEES."THEY ARE NOT DOING AS MUCHBUSINESS AS THEYUSED TO.

THAT IS ANUNDERSTATEMENT.THEY ARE HOPING LAWMAKERS CANCOMEUP WITH A PLAN TO HELP."JUST FOR US PERSONALLYMAKING SURE THAT THOSE PEOPLEWHO ARE LOSING THEIR JOBS ARETAKEN CARE OF... AND FOR THESESMALL BUSINESSES THAT ARE BEINGHURT." A COUPLE OF BUSINESS OWNERS SAYTHEY ARE STILL TRYING TO GETPAYROLL HELP FROMBANKS AND THE FEDS AND THATHASN'T COMETHROUGH.LAWMAKERS ARE CONSIDERING ASMUCHAS A 100 MILLION OF THAT CARESACT MONEY FOR ASMALL GRANT PROGRAM...BUT ASALWAYS THE DEVIL WILL BE IN THEFINAL DETAILS.LIVE IN JACKSON SCOTT SIMMONS 16WAPT NEWS.

GOVERNOR REEVES TELLINGMISSISSIPPI THECORONAVIRUS FIGHT IS NOT OVERTHIS EVENING..