HALIFAX – Business leaders across the HRM are understandably frustrated after the province, just yesterday, announced another lockdown, due to a surge in Covid-19 cases.
Restaurants are back to take-out only, retailers can only operate at 25 percent capacity, and “nonessential” businesses like salons and gyms will have to close. These measures are expected to be in place for the next four weeks.
This is the third time in the last calendar year that a wave of Covid-19 has affected business operations in the city. Patrick Sullivan, President and CEO of the Halifax Chamber of Commerce was clearly frustrated with the situation during an interview with Huddle Today. The severity of the restrictions announced yesterday took Sullivan by surprise.
“We didn’t expect the complete shutdown that we got yesterday,” stated Sullivan. “We thought there would be reductions in people who could come into a restaurant. We thought there would be reductions in gyms, but we didn’t expect 100 percent shutdown, no.”
“I’m frustrated that it came to this. We had transmission from a social gathering. It appears that’s what Dr. Strang is saying, and now that’s impacted thousands of people across Nova Scotia, and primarily in Halifax.”
Sullivan says businesses in Halifax would like to see the scientific reasoning behind the decision to close so many businesses again, especially given the fact that the surge in cases have come from social gatherings and travel.
“They understand the cases have increased, but they’re also looking for the science,” said Sullivan” The time has come, after a year, to see the number of cases and the actual transmission in businesses versus social gatherings. Because what we’re hearing is social gatherings were the primary cause of this outbreak.”
The provincial government has promised financial support for affected businesses, but details of those supports have yet to be finalized.
“We understand the additional public health protocols will be difficult for many businesses,” a spokesperson stated in an email to Huddle Today. “We want to reassure Nova Scotians that we will be working with them to mitigate the impact and we will have supports for businesses. We will announce details of the program once finalized.”
Sullivan warns that even with government support, it won’t be enough to offset many business’ expenses during this lockdown. Some may not survive the four weeks of lost revenue.
“Hundreds, if not thousands, of people were laid off yesterday, so it’s an impact to those employees and an impact to businesses,” said Sullivan.
“Some businesses are not surviving, that’s probably fair to say. And they’re surviving, in many cases, by taking on more debt. So, the impacts of this will be far-reaching and long-term. It will take businesses years to get back from where we are, and some may never come back.”
For businesses that must completely shut down, yesterday’s announcement is a major blow. Stacy Landry is the co-owner of Adorn Salon and Spa. She was taken by surprise yesterday when she found out Adorn would have to close for four weeks.
“I honestly didn’t think that we would shut down again,” said Landry. “I had no worries at all when I heard there was an announcement. I expected restaurants to be closed, maybe gyms, but never did I think it would be salons. We have so much in place in terms of PPE. We spent a lot of money on acrylic glass and plexiglass.”
“We just changed so much and spent so much money and spent so much time into reopening the salon, so we wouldn’t have to close again.”
During the first wave of Covid-19 last year, Adorn was closed for three months. To help make ends meet – along with government support programs – Landry and her partner began selling their products with curbside pickup and delivery.
“Obviously, we were really scared because we never had to shut down before,” recalls Landry. “But when we reopened after the three months, we were back in business fully and really busy. But during those three months, we still had our rent, our bills, everything to pay, with no income coming in. So, it was difficult to process that.”
“The support programs definitely helped, but we did get taxed on them. And it was also not guaranteed that we would be able to keep the money…”
Landry’s biggest concern is if the shutdown has to go on longer than four weeks. She is also worried that, because of the surge in Covid-19 numbers, people may be too scared to go back out even when restrictions are lifted.
“Are our clients going to return to us?” Asks Landry. “Or are they going to be too nervous to come back into the shop?”
For the struggling restaurant industry, the closure of in-dining areas comes at one of the worst possible times. Patio season was about to begin, which last year proved to be a big boost for businesses. Luc Erjavec, Restaurants Canada vice president for the Atlantic region, said the industry, once again, will have to “grin and bear,” this latest setback.
“Are we happy with the closures? Absolutely not. But we understand; we work closely with the public health officials and we recognize how quickly things change,” said Erjavec.
“We met with Dr. Strang several times this week and he was not looking at closure until, as they like to say, the arse came out of ‘er.”
“It’s going to be tough on operators, but you’d rather close down now than see it go on for weeks and weeks like it has in other provinces.”
Erjavec is trying to remain optimistic; hoping that consumer confidence will be soaring once the population becomes fully vaccinated. Despite his optimism, however, Erjavec admits some restaurant owners in the HRM may not be able to make it through the latest lockdown.
“It’s going to be tough; It’s been a long year. People have accumulated a massive amount of debt. I’m sure there are going to be operators who will be negatively impacted and not be able to move forward,” he said.
“I think things are going to change dramatically when we reopen. More people will be vaccinated, and we will be looking at ways to increase consumer confidence.”
Derek Montague
Huddle Today
https://huddle.today/halifax-businesses-feeling-the-frustration-with-latest-lockdown/
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Halifax Businesses Feeling The Frustration With Latest Lockdown
Monday, April 26, 2021
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Business Truth & Reconciliation
The Atlantic Chamber of Commerce takes proactive steps to promote reconciliation and respect for Indigenous rights within the corporate sector. In response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Call to Action 92, the Chamber urges its members to embrace the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as a guiding framework.
Recognizing the importance of education, the Chamber encourages businesses to provide comprehensive training for management and staff on the history of Indigenous peoples, including the legacy of residential schools, Indigenous rights, and Aboriginal-Crown relations. Emphasizing intercultural competency, conflict resolution, and anti-racism, these efforts aim to foster a more inclusive and harmonious corporate environment rooted in mutual understanding and respect.
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