the customer capacity, which then limits income these biconic departments receive. Many of these companies filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy (permits reorganization under bankruptcy laws of the United States) earlier in the pandemic with billions of dollarsin debt. Most of these stores, however, struggled with economic issues prior to the virus. With the increasingly slow income and very few customers, it has led stores nationwide scrambling for creative ways to stay afloat.
But it is not just the big brands that were the hardest hit from COVID-19, it is the small business stores that have been rapidly shutting down amidst quarantine as well. Nearly 100,000 local or family-owned businesses have closed due to the devastating damage of the virus. The day between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, also known as Small Business Saturday, local shops prepared to make up for their lost sales, making it their busiest day of the year. On this day customers take the time to break away from big brand stores and to shop at local businesses. Mark Stanton, president and CEO of the Scottsdale Area of Chamber and Commerce says small businesses are the backbone of the economy and community because they help create jobs and economic infrastructure. With the many rules of social distancing, it has caused the government to force some of these stores to shut down. People argue that this is the main cause of unemployment and they should loosen the tightened protocols. To help local businesses it is not even necessary to spend money, you can simply give a good review or recommend friends to shop there. A little goes a long way and helping our local businesses and shops would be a small act of kindness during these tough times.
Stopping the Spread
As people continue to travel because of the upcoming holidays and breaks, governors across the states warn people of the possible surge in cases within the coming weeks. As of April 2021 in the US, there have been 31.2 million cases and 562,000 deaths. During November, hospitals were creating plans to increase their current capacity by 50% or to set up field hospitals. A field hospital is a temporary hospital or mobile medical unit that takes care of casualties on-site before they can be safely transported to more permanent facilities. Government officials urge citizens to limit their social circles only to the people in their household and to refrain from going to public places. NJ Governor Phil Murphy says that the only exceptions for gatherings of 25 or