Flouting COVID-19 rules is bad for business, dangerous

“Open for business!” are three words that resonate within the business community.

So, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce, along with many in the South Florida business community, welcome the recent moves by state and county officials to re-open restaurants, salons, malls, museums and other businesses that have been shuttered due to novel coronavirus.

Clearly, the pandemic has taken a toll. The number of cases and deaths in our area have been devastating, and businesses — particularly in our tourism and hospitality sector — have either closed completely or are barely getting by with limited staff, clients and customers. These are indeed trying times, which makes the lifting of COVID-19 closure orders in Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties all the more appreciated.

Since the outbreak began, members of our region’s business community have shown flexibility and innovation while adjusting to the “new normal” that had our communities and customers sheltering in place. Small business owners in particular who found success through online initiatives, marketing through charitable donations or take-out only operations that complied with social distance policies, remain grateful for customer support.

As we move forward, the business community asks patrons to continue to follow commonsense COVID-19 prevention: keep washing those hands, stay home if sick, wear masks in places where business is conducted and keep six feet away from other individuals. Business owners have their part to play, too. We must monitor employee health, stagger work schedules, encourage employees to work from home and improve cleaning standards in the workplace. Short of a vaccine, these remain the best bets for minimizing the virus’ spread.

Now is not the time for #Floridamorons, the viral hashtag that dominated social media after pictures of crowded Florida beaches became an online sensation. Owners of restaurants, hotels, stores, shopping malls, barbershops and nail salons want their clients back, but they are also aware that flouting prudent practices is bad for business. We are still in the middle of a pandemic. Florida’s confirmed cases and death statistics continue to rise, and while those figures fall far short of New York’s, it still shows the need to take necessary precautions.

That’s why local government officials in Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties devised scientific-based social distancing plans that will allow select businesses to re-start operations with the idea of re-igniting our region’s economy while ensuring the safety of clients, customers and employees. To reach those goals, the business community is prepared to make changes in the way it operates in a COVID-19 world.

For the foreseeable future, say goodbye to crowded cafes, bars and extended treatments at hair salons. Say hello to disposable and digital menus at restaurants and mandatory appointments to get a haircut. Happy hour will take a hiatus as bars remain closed, and large gatherings at funerals and weddings will no longer be appropriate. We know the virus is more likely to spread when a lot of people gather in an enclosed area for a prolonged period of time. Business owners will do their part in upholding physical distancing guidelines, but we’ll need the public’s help to consistently practice safety precautions to keep consumer confidence high and businesses open.

The business community recognizes the role of the consumer and stands ready to ensure that the safety of both customers and employees remains front and center. We are asking the public to join us in abiding by the new capacity and physical distancing rules that are necessary to “re-open” and continue to bring back the nation’s twelfth-largest economy by GDP.

Business owners will do their part in upholding physical distancing guidelines, but we’ll need the public’s help to consistently practice safety precautions to keep consumer confidence high and businesses open.