A pandemic offers an apparently unique opportunity for each of us to pretend we have all of the answers, be it virology, immunology, logistics, or business operations. In truth, we should leave the science to the scientists, the healthcare to the doctors and nurses, the regulatory regimes to the elected officials, and the business of business to people who know how to do that.
We’ve taken some serious steps here in Maryland. Governor Hogan took bold action, not always popular, to slow the spread of the Coronavirus, particularly when it comes to closing small businesses all across the state. The effects of this order are still being evaluated, but at first glance, it appears that while far too many vulnerable people are having very bad outcomes, the projections of infection and morbidity are far below the worst-case projections.
Given that emerging evidence, it seems really important to shift at least some of our focus to saving our local, state, regional and national economy. For a month, we’ve heard the rallying cry that it is more important to “stop the spread” and “flatten the curve.” Now, our rallying cry should be to “save our jobs” and “reopen our stores.”
It’s a false equivalent to suggest we can only focus on one thing at a time. At no time in our history has that been true, and it’s not true now. While we roll out widescale testing and contact tracing measures, we can begin to reengage our private sector partners using cautious, scientific principles. Think of it like a recipe, a pinch of this and a dash of that, all leading to a perfectly baked business reawakening.
- Maintain social distancing guidelines: It’s gotten us safely to this point, no reason to abandon a good thing.
- Establish/ promulgate new antibacterial cleaning standards/products: Look, we’re not going to fall back into bad habits for a while. Antiviral cleaning products and practices will be the new norm for every workplace.
- Wear facial covering in enclosed public spaces for an additional 45-60 days: Since the virus will remain a part of our futures, at least until solid therapies and a vaccine exist, I wouldn’t be shocked to see face masks going forward. Especially now that we know the trick to keep the mask from fogging up our glasses (tissue paper just under the top edge of the mask)
- Restaurants, bars, breweries, wineries and distilleries reopen, but at 50% capacity for the first two months: Our restaurants, one of our strongest draws and features, NEED TO REOPEN. Let them open up at a diminished capacity, at least to start. As testing expands and more citizens are cleared, increase the capacity until we reach full food service establishments with the expected 3-45minute wait times.
- Retail stores reopen, but limit customers to ensure social distancing: Just like our restaurants, let us get back to old-fashioned commerce. Well, I mean the socially distant, face masked and 65% alcohol-based hand sanitizer old-fashioned commerce, anyway.
- Offices reopen with distancing in place: Most of us aren’t all that stupid, we can figure out the 6-foot distancing thing, even around the water cooler during gossip sessions.
- Limit gatherings, meetings, training, seminars to no more than 10 people for 45-60 days or until testing demonstrates the ability to safely return to normal: Big gatherings, large-scale public festivals, and 100+ person events will be a longer-term recovery prospect. A lot more public confidence will have to be built-up before this aspect of our lives returns to some sense of normal. This Fall, maybe? Let’s get excited about the Summers Farm, Lawyer’s Winterbrook Farm, the Gaver’s and Jumbo’s Pumpkin Patch.
- Parks, playgrounds and recreational facilities reopen, but maintain safe distance standards: I don’t know about you, but I’m the outdoors type. Camping, hiking, fishing swimming and relaxing by a roaring fire are my jam. Watching and coaching ballplayers, listening to the ping of an aluminum bat and the slap of a hard-thrown ball into a worn leather glove is the sound of spring and summer. Let them play, even if we have to keep them several feet apart this season.
It’s entirely possible to restart individual/ economic activity while limiting viral spread. We have the right kind of local and state leaders to protect our public health while beginning to accommodate our desperately impacted small business partners. We can trust our business owners to also work to keep us all safe because to them their customers are their lifeline, their success and their ultimate salvation.
Let’s do both things, and thereby save ourselves from COVID-19 and financial ruin.
-Rick Weldon, President & CEO
Frederick Chamber Insights is a news outlet of the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce. For more information about membership, programs and initiatives, please visit our website.