ATLANTA — Opening for business during a pandemic is not simple and has plenty of caution backstories. Consider Georgia, which allowed more “essential” businesses to open Friday. More follow Monday. Customers are eager to spend in some cases, like barber shops. But more than meeting customer demand is at stake.
If employees are afraid of getting sick and harming their families they can refuse to return to work when businesses open. They can then be fired and will not be eligible for unemployment insurance checks. That’s a tough choice if you live check to check.
If businesses choose to protect employees and customers and don’t open — although allowed to — the businesses cannot get business interruption insurance checks. And if they close but are allowed to be open their landlords and loan holders can demand payment.
If a business opens but gets few customers as infections grow they will still be out of business.
They also are subjected to lawsuits if people get sick. Because of the incubation period, that could be hard to prove. Businesses could win in court but they still pay to defend themselves. Following the guidelines, their defense presumably, can be tough for some because of hard to get required personal protection equipment and required items like hand sanitizer and disinfectant.
So far in Georgia confirmed COVID-19 cases continue to grow. If the opening of business in Georgia on April 24 results in a growth of confirmed infections, as reflected by testing, you will see it about May 11. If that results in more deaths you will see it starting around May 24. Keep in mind Georgia tests less than most states — less than 1 percent. And then only people with symptoms. That means there are plenty of carriers out there without symptoms. But they can pass on the infection to people who may develop symptoms. And be hospitalized and die.
Allowed opened Friday are “essentials” like bowling alleys, barber shops, nail salons. Getting the green light Monday are social clubs and dine-in restaurants.
President Trump said he opposed early opening until federal guidelines are met. That came after it was reported he gave Gov. Brian Kemp his approval earlier in the week. In political circles the about face is seen as payback over Kemp’s naming wealthy Kelly Loeffler, who was born, reared and educated in Illinois, to fill a vacancy in the U.S. Senate. Trump wanted Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., who is opposing Loeffler for the Republican Senate nomination. Insiders think Trump stuck it to Kemp over the business opening so it didn’t look vindictive about Collins/Loeffler.
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who also opposed early opening, said Friday, “I just received our new numbers, and our numbers are up 28.8% in positive tests since last week and deaths are up 37.23% since last week. We aren’t trending downwards. There’s no science or data that supports opening up our state.” The mayor cannot overrule Kemp’s statewide order.
If all this opening with regulations works and does not drive numbers up, around June 1 will be relatively safe to get a haircut as long as you wear a mask, don’t touch your face and wash hands when you get home. Follow the same precautions you do now.
You will be well advised not to trust people to do the right thing to protect themselves and by extension you, either because they get sloppy and forget or because in their arrogance they think it is no big deal.
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