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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 25, 2020)
14 Wednesday, November 25, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Oregon businesses worry about lack of economic backstop By Sara Cline The Associated Press/Report for America SALEM (AP) 4 In March life in Oregon, and across the country, came to a screeching halt. Restaurants only served meals in to-go bags. Long- term care facilities locked their doors in an effort to save their tenants. Playgrounds were childless and class- rooms were operated through computer screens. Businesses hastily expanded their online stores and employees were sent home. The only crowds that could be seen were gath- ered outside grocery stores in lines stretching around the building. During the summer and fall, <Closed< signs began to be flipped back over to <Open.= As COVID-19 cases surge across Oregon a slew of new restrictions are being imple- mented in the state, as part of a two-week freeze that began November 18 in an effort to halt social activities and slow the spread in transmission. Restaurants are once again being limited to take-out only and some businesses must lock their doors. This time, the lack of a federal economic backstop are leaving owners and employees apprehensive about their ability to survive the financial impact. <We were already hear- ing from members they were concerned about what another shutdown would do to their chances of staying open,= said Jason Brandt, the presi- dent & CEO for the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association. <This latest round of regulations focused on restaurants will trigger an unknown amount of perma- nent closures impacting the livelihoods of thousands of Oregon families.= Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic around 200 restaurants, or 2 percent, have permanently closed. Brandt said that number is likely significantly higher. A month into Oregon9s March shutdown, an estimated 81 percent of Oregon restau- rant workers had been laid off or furloughed 4 impacting 127,000 employees, accord- ing to a national survey conducted by the National Restaurant Association. But this time around fed- eral funds have dwindled and the pool of significant finan- cial resources are arid. <This is incredibly differ- ent than the last go around because we had the federal government to pass relief packages to prop up busi- nesses,= Brandt said. The Paycheck Protection Program, a key piece of the coronavirus relief legisla- tion Congress approved in March, handed out more than $650 billion in loans and increased the survivability of businesses. The program stopped tak- ing applications in August. A separate federal relief program that paid unem- ployed Americans an extra $600 per week has lapsed as well. <Congress needs to act to help us,= Gov. Kate Brown said. For weeks Brown has called on Congress to pass another COVID-19 relief package, which she said should immediately reinsti- tute the $600 supplemental benefit for unemployment and enhance federal employment compensation. <We know very, very, clearly that the band-aid has been ripped off and that our historically underserved com- munities 4 our communi- ties of color, our low-income communities, our rural com- munities 4 have been dis- proportionately impacted,< Brown said. Last week the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association sent a letter to the governor and lawmak- ers asking that $75 million of Oregon9s remaining CARES funds be used to create a Hospitality Relief Fund to help restaurants, bars, brew- eries, cideries, lodging prop- erties and other hospitality related businesses. In addition, following the announcement of new restrictions, officials from the Oregon Employment Department said they are preparing to increase claims- processing capacity with support from the National Guard. The department is also developing an option for impacted employers to sub- mit employee information in bulk to minimize the need for employees to locate key infor- mation that may not be easily accessible. Between the start of the pandemic and July more than 500,000 Oregonians had filed unemployment claims, caus- ing major delays in people receiving funds 4 thousands of people waiting months for unemployment. I n J u l y O r e g o n 9s Legislature passed a $35-mil- lion relief-check program that could pay 70,000 Oregonians, still waiting for unemploy- ment benefits, a one-time pay- ment of $500. In less than three days all the funds had been used. Brandt said the upcoming freeze is likely <going to be the fight for small businesses9 lives.= For months many Oregon restaurants have been operat- ing at a limited capacity, 100 people, and had a curfew of 10 p.m. Brandt said that since reopening, many restaurant owners have invested their money into creating outdoor dining structures and heat- ing so they can operate in the winter. Ezra Caraeff, who owns three bar-restaurants and one bar in Portland, said he has spent weeks retrofitting his establishment for outdoor dining in Oregon9s wet winter weather. During March, Ezra said he had to lay off 50 peo- ple. Since then he has rehired most of them. <The hardest part last time was not closing down or washing my hands more, the hardest part was laying off 50 people,= he said. <So to have to do this again is hard to even think about.= Caraeff said the latest clo- sure order will be devastating for him and his employees. <It9s difficult to compre- hend it. It9s gonna be a blood bath. We should shut down, I agree with shutting down, but is there rent relief? There9s not,= he said. On Monday Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler urged Oregonians to buy local and support businesses. <My ask of the public is, let9s support some of these restaurants,= he said. <Let9s show these restaurants some love because if we want them to be there on the other side of the COVID crisis, we9ve got to support them now.= Oregon9s statewide two- week freeze began November 18, but for some counties, including Multnomah 4 Oregon9s most populous county and home to Portland 4 the freeze is expected to last longer. On top of take-out only, grocery stores, pharmacies and retail stores are lim- ited to a maximum capacity of 75 percent. Faith-based organizations will also have their capacity reduced to 25 people indoors and 50 people outdoors. Gyms and fitness cen- ters, museums, pools, sports courts, movie theaters, zoos, gardens, aquariums and ven- ues have closed their doors completely. 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