The coronavirus outbreak continues to impact local economies throughout the Bay Area.
On a recent Tuesday, the streets in San Francisco's Financial District were nearly empty. As part of the effort to stem further spread of the virus, officials are advising employers to encourage employees to work from home.
Small businesses, especially those that rely on office workers to patronize their shops, have been hit particularly hard.
Faheem Salemi, manager of Working Girls' Cafe on Mission Street, said business is down about 60%.
Salemi said his family had owned the cafe and two others in San Francisco for 22 years.
During that time, he had seen ups and downs in the economy — he remembered closing abruptly on the morning of 9/11. But he said that was nothing compared to what he sees now.
“The dot-com crash and the 2008 financial meltdown, those were gradual things, and we saw things were happening,” Salemi said. “But this is a complete stop. Nothing. You don’t know what to do.”
Salemi said he has five employees at the Mission Street location. About a month ago, he considered hiring one more person, but he held off. Now he’s considering reducing staffing to a holiday schedule level — about two to three employees.
“I don’t want to take that measure yet,” he said. “Because I want to wait another week, see what’s up. I want to absorb the costs. If this thing continues, I have to take that measure.”
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors are proposing legislation aimed at lessening financial impacts for both workers and small business owners.
These measures include a temporary moratorium on evictions and creating a new category of paid sick leave.
“Workers in our city are worried,” said Supervisor Gordon Mar during a press conference about the proposals Tuesday. “They're worried about their next rent check, their next phone bill and whether they'll be able to take time off to care for their child. No one should have to choose between their health and their job.”
There are also proposals to suspend bank foreclosures and to create interest-free loans for small businesses.
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