There’s was a grumbling voice I heard from across the bar at one of my favourite Burnaby haunts.
“Bloody COVID-19 – it’s killing us,” said the man, a manager of the restaurant/bar I regularly hang out at lunch.
I asked him what was going on and he replied that business at his establishment was down 18% in the past couple of months.
This, I should add, is a restaurant that is part of a large Canadian chain. He said he’s never seen that kind of decline since he’s been in the food/bar business.
He blamed the coronavirus.
He’s not along, of course. The NOW has documented how businesses in the Burnaby’s Asian shopping district, Crystal Mall, have suffered revenue declines as high as 80% as people stay away due to coronavirus – also known as COVID-19.
I’ve been on record as trying to reassure people to get on with their normal lives by shopping and eating out as usual, just with the extra precautions of washing your hands and not touching your face. That include Crystal Mall and any other Asian business.
B.C. health officials urge the same thing as fears grow of our economy cratering due to panic surrounding the virus.
I’m writing this to tell you that it’s not just Asian businesses that are suffering. That is terrible all on its own. But this fear has spread to other businesses in our community.
A Burnaby pet store owner said their business is down significantly, as is their competitor. The restaurant manager I spoke with above said he’s heard from managers at other local chain restaurants who have said their business is down roughly 20%. Some friends have told me they are just staying away from Burnaby shopping malls altogether.
The priority, of course, is the health of people. But it’s also OK to worry about the impact on our economy. We need to find the balance between being cautious and not hiding in our homes. Imagine the impact on a server’s bank account is business drops 20% and their tips shrink along with that.
All because of panic.
As B.C. health officials say, the risk of contracting COVID-19 is very low.
So, as I said above, wash your hands a lot and don’t touch your face – two things you should have always been doing.
And then, enjoy your life.
Follow Chris Campbell on Twitter @shinebox44.
