Bay Area small-business owners protest lockdown order
Hair salons already struggling amidst the coronavirus pandemic are calling for relief
Small-business owners in California's liberal Bay Area are protesting recent coronavirus lockdown orders as infection rates spike in the Golden State.
Pandemic fatigue and financial strain have led frustrated businesses across the country to consider defying health orders, and many have been fined or even arrested for refusing to shut down.
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In Marin County, dozens of hair salon owners protested their new shutdown on Thursday, calling on the county's public health offices to let them reopen.
The new order -- which took effect on Tuesday and extends through Jan. 4 -- mandates that restaurants stop offering indoor and outdoor dining, and bars, museums, family entertainment centers, and personal care services close.
However, as ICU beds fill and infection rates skyrocket, health officials are left without much of a choice.
Ryan McCann holds up a banner during a protest by hair salon owners and workers against the latest lockdown orders outside the offices of Marin County Health Officer Dr. Matt Willis Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020, in San Rafael, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Risber
Dr. Matt Willis, the county’s public health officer, told the Marin Independent Journal that the regulations are coming from the state.
“No one wants to have to make this kind of decision,” said Willis. “What we are doing is choosing between two real harms and, you know, my belief, and there is clear evidence when you are seeing surges in cases like this, is the earlier you take actions … the faster you get back on track. That is our goal.”
The testing positivity rate is now over 5.5% in the state, with the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center reporting 196,001 cases and 1,050 deaths over the past week.
In total, there are now almost 1.5 million cases recorded and more than 20,600 deaths.
But federal relief is not coming for the thousands of restaurants and businesses that have closed in California, at least not until Congress agrees on a plan.
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In November, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom announced small businesses would be allowed more time to turn over sales tax collections and said up to $25,000 in cash grants can be distributed around the beginning of next year.