Local businesses, elderly population fear affects of coronavirus
News March 15, 2020
HIAWASSEE, Ga. – Although the infamous coronavirus has not made a known appearance in Towns County, local businesses are reporting a drop in sales as they fear potential closure due to the contagious disease, and elderly residents question how COVID-19 could alter their well-being beyond health concerns.
Misty and Shannon Garrison, owners of Main Street Grill in Hiawassee, offered their thoughts on the situation. “We rely on our restaurant to pay our bills there and at home. If we have to close it’s gonna affect not only us but our employees as well so, therefore, we won’t be getting our bills paid at the restaurant or at home and the same goes for our employees. I really hope it doesn’t come down to that cause most restaurant owners rely on their business. It sure is a scary thought. Praying is all we can do. Prayers going out to everyone.”
An employee of Daniel’s Steakhouse in Hiawassee reported a slower-than-usual Sunday crowd, presumably due to sparse church attendance, the result of recommendations to socially distance oneself to avoid contracting the respiratory illness.
Click for list of Towns County closings
A raided toilet paper aisle at an area store.
“I work as a national accounts manager for a medium-sized temp-controlled trucking company,” Ada Lynn Allison told FYN. “Up until the first week of March, I have traveled out of state every week since Jan. 3 for work. My travel has been stopped until this crisis is over and I’m working from home or my daughter’s house because she works and has two toddlers and their preschool is closed.”
Residents reported shortages at area stores, mainly consisting of toilet paper and disinfectant products as concerned consumers rush to prepare for the unknown. Some said, however, that the virus is not disrupting their lives at all. “We are going to restaurants, doing our shopping at our local farms, just came back from the antique mall,” Ellen A Hayes Vera said. “For parents with school kids, this is an excellent time to teach them a hobby, get them outside to play, and have quality time with them. For those that went nuts, they need to remember their kids are learning from their actions. I turned off the news two weeks ago, never felt better.”
Other citizens adamantly disagreed. “Just because you turned off the news doesn’t mean nothing is going on,” Barbara Johnson responded. “People in Italy went on with business as usual and now are locked down because of rapid spread. This is not a vacation, stay home.”
Senior citizens that reached out to FYN expressed the greatest amount of concern as their age group is especially vulnerable to disease complications. “Right now l see a lot of good in people helping one another,” Ingrid Spangl said. “I am old, most of my friends are older. My worry is how us older folk that live alone will get food into the house in the long run? Right now we are ok, also as l know being alone for a long period of time is not good for our overall well being. We all need a hug, a kind word, a touch, we all need to be needed, need people around us, not locked out somewhere and forgotten.”
Area nursing homes have implemented visitor restrictions and safety policies to heighten the protection of residents.
As of March 15, no area cases of coronavirus have been reported by government officials.
Continue to follow FYN as our team of reporters closely monitor developments related to the effects of the COVID-19 virus.
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1 Comment
Instead of closing restaurants, why not keep them open and have them do take out food. That way people that don’t cook much could just drive over and have the food delivered to the car – win-win for both.