April 3, 2020 Moonshine Minutes
Transcript
Morning all, I’m Alex Hoeft, news reporter with Moonshine Ink, here to deliver your daily dose of Moonshine Minutes.
As we delve further into life amidst the novel coronavirus outbreak, local businesses are caught in a torturous whirlwind of constantly innovating to stay in business while still serving the community and grasping for monetary means to keep employees aboard and overhead manageable. Through this, businesses considered nonessential are finding new ways to still deliver their products and services remotely, especially as the uncertainty of summer crowds looms — will the pandemic affect Tahoe’s summertime tourism as it did this winter?
Sierra Business Council has an entire program devoted to small businesses unsure of next steps. SBC has been making the rounds on different local webinars, sharing their work and knowledge for overcoming challenging economic times. SBC’s Sierra Small Business Development Center is a resource to help employers and owners navigate the currently murky waters of loans and grants on a state and national level. Since the beginning of March, the center has seen a 500% increase in calls from businesses seeking guidance.
Jessica Carr, associate director of the Sierra SBDC, said her team is out to help business survive the COVID-19 hardships. “From assisting businesses with the Small Business Administration Economic Injury loans to creative cash flow management to simply listening and problem-solving with you, navigating the new landscape for your employees, and digesting the federal legislation, we are here to help.”
If you’re looking for your own ways to support your neighborhood businesses, the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association suggested in a press release a number of different options to provide immediate support:
- One, assist local families by donating to the Boys and Girls Club of North Lake Tahoe’s COVID-19 relief effort.
- Second, buy gift cards from Tahoe area businesses now to use at a later time.
- For a third option, you can support nonprofit organizations by contributing to the Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation’s Emergency Response Fund.
- Families enjoy idea number four, which is buying a kid-friendly activity box stacked with locally created goods for your family to enjoy.
- Consider also the fitness of fitness businesses. Join live-stream exercise classes from one of the many nearby exercise or yoga studios. Your and their imaginations are the only limit.
Before you head out to satisfy one of these ideas, though, make sure you’re aware of the latest news coming out of Placer County.
Placer’s health officer Dr. Aimee Sisson is now recommending face coverings for anyone who leaves their residence for essential activities. That means scarves, bandanas, or some sort of cloth to cover your face. This comes about as new studies reveal the transmission of COVID-19 can happen up to three days before any symptoms appear.
Thus, the Centers for Disease Control is doubling down on recommendations for social distancing and avoiding congregations of people.
Moonshine is also keeping you updated on what California Governor Gavin Newsom’s order to close schools and finish the year out through distance learning will mean locally. The Tahoe Truckee Unified School District should announce their decision whether or not to commit to that order later today. We’ll keep you posted.
In the meantime, we have a list of local restaurants and grocery stores that have adapted to the changing times. Visit our website at moonshineink.com/coronavirus-food for details.
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