Fighting health crisis will mean economic hardships for many

Some Houstonians were in high spirits Monday evening — or trying to keep their spirits up, at least.

“Happy vacation!” said a woman, as she hopped off her bar stool at the West Alabama Ice House in Houston’s Montrose neighborhood. “Happy apocalypse-ation!”

Hours earlier, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo announced that bars across the city and county would be closed until at least the end of the month, and restaurants would be restricted to providing meals for takeout and delivery. Several other major U.S. cities had already taken the step, as efforts to slow the spread of the new coronavirus have become more fervent.

It’s a drastic step, and one that will bring considerable economic pain to many Houstonians in the coming weeks. But it’s also the right decision, according to public health experts, who have been begging Americans for weeks to embrace practices such as social distancing, which is vital to “flattening the curve” of the pandemic.

“Of all the natural disasters, floods and everything, we’ve never closed,” said Lydia Mathis, who was tending bar at the West Alabama Ice House, as she has for the past 20 years. “We closed maybe one day, during (Hurricane) Harvey. We’re always open.”

She was stoical about the impending closure, which was scheduled to begin Tuesday morning. “It’s better to be closed for two weeks than two months because it’s spiraled out of control.”

“The customers are pretty flippant, really — but I guess those are the ones who’ve decided to come out,” she added.

That was the problem for city and county officials in the days leading up to Monday’s announcement. Many residents were taking an attitude similar to one they might take during a major storm, whiling away the hours at local restaurants and

bars — or perhaps going out to gyms, movie theaters and museums — if they were open. Indeed, some were doing so in part to support the local economy and the neighbors who earn their living via Houston’s diverse and inventive culinary landscape.

But as the death toll rose in Europe, and public health experts in the United States continued to sound the alarm, some governors and big-city mayors began taking more draconian measures to keep people from congregating that would have seemed unimaginable weeks ago — closing bars and restaurants, for example. A slew of national fitness centers announced Monday they were shutting their doors too. Movie theaters, performing arts centers and museums have also done so.

But it was the closure of bars and restaurant seating areas that drew the most attention in Houston, a city hailed in one magazine article a few years ago as “the next food capital of America,” in part because it means so many city residents are now facing immediate economic distress.

At the West Alabama Ice House, Mathis, who is in her 40s and was wearing gloves as she worked, said she was concerned about the virus itself, and was taking extra precautions for cleanliness. But the financial impact of the city’s moves was weighing more heavily on her mind Monday evening.

“I’m honestly more concerned about not working for 15 days — you know what I mean?” she said. “Personally, at my age, etc., I’m more worried about not being able to pay my bills.”

“I’m pretty scared,” she continued. “I really hope the government comes through for us, and doesn’t leave everybody high and dry. A whole lot of people are going to need some kind of help.”

Mathis suggested credit card companies be required to drop interest rates, for the duration of the crisis. After all, the Federal Reserve dropped interest rates to zero Sunday, as part of its emergency action in response to the pandemic, and many Americans will likely be living on credit in the coming weeks and months.

Rachel Preston, 24, was similarly worried as she worked the closing shift at Rudyard’s pub in Montrose on Monday evening.

“I feel a little bit frustrated, honestly, because it’s putting myself and thousands of other people in the hospitality industry out of business until further notice,” she said of the city’s order.

“I don’t know how I’m going to pay my bills,” Preston continued. “Right now I’m trying to find alternative sources that don’t put anyone in danger. Maybe I’ll go try to get a job at the grocery store?”

She was also worried about a ripple effect on small businesses, like auto shops.

“It’s certainly a scary time for everyone,” said Ryan Thauburn, the owner of nearby Darwin’s Pub, as he ate his last dine-in meal for the time being at Rudyard’s.

He explained that he was in a fortunate position himself, thanks to his own planning and his wife’s ability to work from home. But he was trying to think of ways to alleviate the burden on his regulars and staffers, as well as friends in Houston’s comedy scene.

“When people say ‘Stay at home’ — a lot of people who come into our bar, that is their home,” he explained.

The economic implications of the pandemic have clearly made an impression on President Donald Trump, who initially played down fears of the new virus but on Friday declared a national emergency. On Monday the president announced new guidelines for dealing with the pandemic, including that people work from home if possible and avoid gatherings of more than 10 people. The White House has also signaled support for making $1,000 cash payments to Americans as part of a coronavirus relief measure, according to news reports.

Trump has stopped short of calling for a nationwide quarantine or curfew, and some state and local leaders have followed his lead.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, for example, continues to back a decentralized response to the pandemic. Local leaders in Montgomery County, north of Houston, have declined to close bars and restaurants, although officials in Fort Bend County on Tuesday decided to follow Harris County’s lead. Galveston’s mayor said the city would adopt restrictions similar to Houston’s while Galveston County leaders announced less-sweeping limits, with the county judge questioning the constitutionality of bar and restaurant closings.

The good news, if there is any, is that most Americans now seem attuned to the gravity of the public health crisis. The economic hardship Houstonians are facing over the coming weeks will be serious, but experts warn us that without such measures, the losses could be far worse.