Ronni Hannaman: Thanksgiving may be ultimate test for Carson City businesses (Voices)

CARSON CITY, Nev. — Right now, we are all feeling a bit frantic. With the holidays almost here, many are feeling the weight of being unable to plan for even the week ahead.

The threat of yet another forced closure is imminent. States around us are now imposing new guidelines to include travel restrictions. Even though we sometimes jokingly call ourselves California East, these restrictions also apply to us.

The lead story on any news show begins with the breathless announcement of new COVID-19 cases across the United States along with the number of deaths. Almost daily, we see the number of cases in Nevada and our Quad County region explode. We don’t yet know how the large breakout in the Warm Springs Correctional Center will affect the region. Inmates can’t leave, but staff can.

Businesses that were able to prevail during the first government-mandated shutdown are just beginning to recover and are looking to the holiday season for an added cushion.

They must now face the uncertainty of weathering yet another forced closure from which they may not recover if shoppers go online instead of shopping locally. So many small businesses have been hanging on by a thread even with the largesse of the CARES Act grants and SBA loans.

Businesses can’t seem to catch a break as they continue to become the focus of governmental entities, even though they may be doing everything right. Local retailers have cause for concern as the governor begs us to Stay Home 2.0. Our bars and restaurants are the most vulnerable, always in the eye of the storm.

According to medical experts, we can expect another 12 months of this uncertainty. What can we do to support our economy and stay physically safe and mentally stable? Shop locally to keep our commerce robust. Many retailers offer curbside pickup. Order takeout. Add to your collection of masks and always wear that mask in public. Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!

The Carson City Chamber of Commerce urges all to play by the rules set by government as our leaders try to figure out the best course of action to curb this pandemic so that we may resume some sense of normalcy.

Thanksgiving may prove to be the ultimate test of what we can expect in the future.

Ronni Hannaman is the Executive Director of the Carson City Chamber of Commerce and believes restaurants are an integral part of our overall quality of life. This Voices column first published Nov. 22 in the Nevada Appeal, a sister publication of the NNBW.