Leg leader’s plea to public: ‘We need a united effort to save local businesses’
ALBION – Orleans County Legislature Chairwoman Lynne Johnson made a plea to the public to support local businesses.
Lynne Johnson
Many of the locally owned operations have struggled during the Covid-19 pandemic, with more people choosing to do online shopping. The state’s restrictions have also reduced capacity at restaurants to 50 percent for indoor seating and to 25 percent for gyms.
Many businesses had to close early in the pandemic when Gov. Cuomo and the state would only allow essential businesses to be open.
“We need a united effort to save local businesses,” Johnson said at the conclusion of Wednesday’s County Legislature meeting. “As winter nears, many local businesses continue to operate with severe restrictions placed on them in the effort to stop the spread of Covid-19.”
Johnson said the seven county legislators receive the most phone calls and messages from the public regarding concerns over state restrictions on businesses.
“These restrictions are already having a devastating economic impact locally,” Johnson said. “We all need to realize just how hard it is to sustain a business over a number of months if not longer when you can only operate at 25 percent of your space, as in the case with fitness facilities, or 50 percent of your space with restaurants.”
The upcoming holiday season will be critical for many businesses to survive well into the new year.
“Let’s join together to save our locals,” Johnson said. “We are stronger together in Orleans County.”
