SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KRON) – It’s easy to spot the impacts of the new COVID restrictions in San Francisco.
Playgrounds are empty, barbershops are closed, so are nail salons.
Parklets have had their chairs and tables removed. And outdoor dining areas are emtpy because that too has been shutdown.
This has left a dramatic impact on restaurant workers.
“We had to lay off 52 workers indefinitely as of this morning and that’s just my two restaurants,” said Laurie Thomas
Thomas is president of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association and owns two restaurants in San Francisco.
She’s closing until these new restrictions are lifted, the other will be open for take-out and delivery if they can do enough business.
“The bottom line is that we are trying to cut down on the interaction of people from different households and remember 60% of the transmission goes on when people show no symptoms,” said Dr. George Rutherford.
UC San Francisco infectious disease virologist Dr. George rutherford says keeping people from different households from interaction has proven successful in places like France.
He says doing it now will slow transmission, which will keep hospitals and ICU’s from being overrun. And that will reduce the death toll.
The new restrictions are in place until January 4.
Restaurant owners say if that’s the case, the federal government must step in and help not only small businesses but their employees, many of whom are now out of work.