By Aaron Allen
The Seattle Medium
Two weeks ago, Governor Jay Inslee, King County Executive Down Constantine and Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan enacted measures to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, COVID-19, in the state of Washington and most notably in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties.
Policies such as “Stay Home” and “Social Distancing” were set forth by state and local officials. Social distancing or physical distancing is a set of non-pharmaceutical interventions or measures taken to prevent the spread of a contagious diseases by keeping a distance of at least six feet between people and Stay Home is the action of self-quarantining yourself at home in order to minimize ones contact with others to slow down the spread of the virus in the hopes of leveling the curve of infections.
The effects of the Coronavirus stretch far beyond the walls of a hospital or medical facility, as the impacts on business and the economy are threatening the livelihoods of many.
As a result, restaurants such as Island Soul in Seattle’s Columbia City area has had to find ways to keep their business afloat during this health crisis and like many other businesses have had to restructure the way they do business.
“We are having to be more creative by taking a traditional sit-down restaurant and turning it into a one-hundred percent all take out,” says Theo Martin, owner of Island Soul. “So its been a change but it is something we have to do [if we want to survive].”
From the businesses, to vendors, to employees, contractors and customers the economic glue, commerce, that holds them together is quickly eroding.
Because of the catastrophic impact this pandemic has brought upon the world and the immediate quarantine of cities, states and even whole countries, human interaction has come to a halt and the product is economic stagnation and uncertainty.
The Stock Market’s reactions were panic as the stock fall was the most significant in history. And Seattle was not immune. As the first city to account for coronavirus cases, Seattle businesses took a major blow at the behest of the Governor to close all restaurants, bars and non-essential businesses as well as the implementation of the Stay Home policy.
The Coronavirus stems from a family of viruses. Other strains of the virus are influenza, Mers and Sars and can be found in humans as well as animals. According to the CDC, “rarely, animal coronaviruses can infect people and then spread between people such as MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV.”
But COVID-19 as a new virus, a novel virus has changed all of that.
The financial crisis caused by the coronavirus has many business owners wondering if they will survive the pandemic and how it will affect their employees.
The measures taken by local, state and federal agencies appears to have slowed the spread of the virus, but it has also slowed down the exchange of money at local mom and pop stores and has diminished many businesses’ ability to earn enough revenue to survive. Original Phillys in Seattle was initially was open for take-out but decided to temporarily close their doors until the threat of the pandemic is over.
“The number one issue in these trying times for the Original Philly’s is revenue,” says co-owner Guy Thomas. “In these critical times not being able to generate revenue and create more revenue on a day-to-day basis has and will continue to hurt us.”
The vicious cycle continues as people exercise Social Distancing and businesses are closing their doors, the exchange of currency has brought many cities to a standstill and locally the dominoes keep falling. Closing doors means laying off employees. Laying off employees means that many people will have to re-evaluate their family and personal budgets. The effect on business and individuals will continue to trickle down as long as the threat of the virus continues.
As Governor, Inslee made the tough call to ban all gatherings, except under certain circumstance, and shut down all non-essential businesses in the state. The list of essential businesses is pretty extensive, but some business owners question the decision-making process that produced the list of essential versus non-essential businesses.
Gwen Allen-Carston, owner of a C&G Hair and Beauty Supply in Kent, WA, feels that businesses like hers could suffer from the long-term effects of such designations.
“I am a bit disappointed in our government at the state level, because the thought process to make some businesses essential or non-essential does not seem fair or appropriate,” Allen-Carston states. “It seems, once again, those needs that we, Black folk, African Americans have not been factored in the determination.”
Policymakers in Olympia are also working to bring relief to small businesses and to address the concerns business owners may have regarding how to deal with this crisis. State Rep. Debra Entenman, who represents the 47th Legislative District, says that the allocation of resources, and the right solutions are things that need to be brought to the table and addressed.
“We have a solution, but the question is are they the right solutions?” questions Entenman.
“Not all businesses and citizens are the same,” continued Entenman. “Not everyone possesses the means or meets middle class standards to actively combat this crisis, so how are we going to help those in need or who do not have resources to help them understand and stay safe.”
Entenman is also concerned about how state and local officials communicate their messaging to diverse populations.
“I have talked to many people who have different experiences, immigrants and the like so it is important that the messages and communications we put out there can address language barriers and understanding so that the message of how to navigate the virus and resources doesn’t get lost in translation,” says Entenman.
With interest rates at all-time lows, Real estate agent Cathy Stegman Sims, like so many others in her industry, was looking for a productive real estate season, but the coronavirus pandemic has stalled those plans.
“With so much uncertainty, buying real estate for a first-time homebuyer seems risky and terrifying,” says Stegman Sims. “Truth be told, most first-time homebuyers feel this way when everything is going great, let alone amid a global pandemic. So yes, this crisis is causing some upheaval for me and my real estate business.”
Local Seattle business are doing their best to adjust. They as well as the citizens are all sacrificing in order maintain some semblance of what used to be, but this crisis has changed our way of live (at least for now) in fundamental ways.
The reality is that this pandemic has shown us how fragile our local economies can be. A few weeks ago, Seattle was boasting with economic opportunities and promise, and now the normally bustling neighborhoods are eerily quiet.
Businesses are having to find creative and new ways of doing business in order to survive. Allen-Carston says that she can change her business model to allow her to stay open during the pandemic, but her pleas appear to be falling on deaf ears.
“I can modify purchases and sales on a call-in and pick up process, why then is no one listening,” says Allen-Carston. “I have to make sacrifices just like everyone else, I pay three taxes — property, business and federal — every year and I deserve to be heard as well. I am trying to survive with the help of my landlord and suppliers, but if this goes on for too long I may have to liquidate and move on.”
