The COVID19 pandemic has created an especially challenging set of circumstances for the entire world. Many businesses have been forced to close or change the way they operate to maintain federal or state imposed social distancing guidelines, causing a negative economic impact for both the companies and the people who work for them.

This bleak economic landscape has given Tucsonans the chance to show what they’re truly made of, and the community continues to defy the odds. Many local business owners, employers of Tucson natives with families to feed, have found ways to remain operational, retain staff, and keep Tucson afloat. In the face of the pandemic, Tucson is still standing proud.

COVID19’s Impact on Tucson

Cases of the novel coronavirus in Arizona have seen a significant uptick, heavily rising from a low in April to a high in mid-August. As the virus continues to spread throughout the state, many businesses have been required to take precautions to prevent the spread. Some businesses have had no choice but to close or lay off workers deemed non-essential. Certain industries were impacted more significantly than others.

COVID19’s first major impact on Tucson was the hit taken by the travel, tourism, and delivery and logistics industry. With air travel limited, many hotels found themselves with an overwhelming amount of vacancies. Airports were empty, and locals were sheltering in place at home. People have indefinitely postponed their vacations, and there’s no way to know for sure when everyone’s travel plans will resume. Industries that depend on this income are hanging in limbo, waiting for news that travel is safe again.

Pima County’s Rules for Operation

In order for businesses in Tucson to remain open, they must follow the guidelines set in place by Pima county leaders. Violations work on a three strikes system. Upon the third strike, business owners may lose their permits to operate. Some business owners are slightly confused about what compliance entails, and this ambiguity has business owners ringing up their local officials.

Some standard guidelines all businesses must follow are clear. All employees and outside vendors are subject to wellness checks, such as temperature screenings, before they’re allowed to perform work duties. The business must provide sanitizer products and mandate that employees and customers alike wear masks when inside of the building. Parties larger than ten members cannot be served, and indoor capacity of a business must remain at or below fifty percent.

While many business owners feel stifled, it’s important to remember that the county is acting in the interest of public health. Without these safety orders, businesses would not be able to operate at all. As challenging and imposing as these requirements may be, they’re designed to save lives.

Local Businesses Adapt to Become Available to the Community

Businesses with the proper infrastructure in place resumed by changing operations as supply manufacturers for pandemic related goods. Some businesses took to producing hand sanitizer for their community. 

Many restaurants redesigned their menus to simplify operations during a time where shipping, logistics, and low staffing requirements made it necessary to scale back operations. Restaurants focused on family style meals or make at home kits for their specialties, like pizzas and tacos. These kits kept the cost of feeding a family a takeout meal a little lower, and they also created a bonding activity for families that would have otherwise been stuck at home without much to do.

Many businesses began focusing on charitable efforts. Not every business in Tucson is geared to provide necessary medical supplies, but many of them still found ways to be useful to those who needed it most. Restaurants began delivering free meals to healthcare workers and first responders, many of whom have hardly seen a day off since the healthcare crisis began to sweep the state. Other eateries took to providing meals for families unable to afford to put food on the table amidst the string of layoffs.

Businesses Enduring the Impact for their Customers

Essential businesses continue running, adhering to slight modifications and striving to serve their community at a time when Tucson needs them the most. Businesses like JCP Electric are still available for house calls in Tucson, and they’ve made themselves available round the clock for emergency on-site electrical repair to residences, commercial buildings, and industrial facilities.

The spirit of local businesses remains strong, despite the many obstacles and safety concerns the pandemic has presented. Tucson has strong roots and the entrepreneurial spirit of the community will always thrive. That is the most important lesson Arizona has gleaned from the pandemic. Despite all the stop signs, the community has come together to find a way to feed its families and continue with some semblance of a normal life, even in times where it feels arduous or impossible.

Media Contact
Company Name: JCP Electric Inc
Contact Person: JC Pineda
Email: Send Email
Phone: 5208083108
Address:2612 E Spring St
City: TUCSON
State: AZ
Country: United States
Website: http://jcpelectric.net/