SAN ANTONIO – Lisa Asvestas employs about 100 people at The Cove and Five Points Local restaurants. She said she was bracing for the news of a business shutdown, but even as the announcement was made, it’s still surreal for her.
“My business will make it, but what I’m concerned about is our team,” she said.
On Wednesday, San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg announced the mandatory closure of bars, gyms, bingo parlors and other non-essential businesses.
Restaurants will be limited to carry-outs and deliveries. The ordinance does not impact grocery stores and gas stations.
Other bar owners KSAT reached out to shared the same concerns for their workers.
Asvestas said everyone has already started pitching in by sharing shifts and paychecks. She said she may be able to help supply some paychecks, but only for a few weeks.
“I’m really hoping that what the government says they’re going to do -- that they’re going to step in -- I really hope that’s gonna happen,” she said.
The best they can do is take everything day by day in unchartered territory.
Nirenberg said a plan will be announced Friday, which will bring relief for those impacted by the closures. He said efforts are also being made at the state and national levels to make funds available.
Wednesday’s declaration is valid for seven days. Nirenberg said a vote by the city council is expected to take place Thursday to extend the declaration to 30 days.
COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new virus, stands for coronavirus disease 2019. The disease first appeared in late 2019 in Wuhan, China, but spread around the world in early 2020, causing the World Health Organization to declare a pandemic in March.
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