Coping with COVID from a business perspective
Senior Vice President, Membership and Community Advancement, Capital Region Chamber
Whether it’s Omicron or some other variant, the surge in COVID-19 cases at the dawn of 2022 has once again created a complex array of healthcare, administrative, staffing, and supply chain issues for area businesses and the community at large.
This troubling development promises to make the ride rather bumpy for the business community for at least the first few months of the year.
Last month, we said goodbye to Carmine DeCrescente, Sr. of DeCrescente Distributing Company, the beloved father, businessman and community leader who succumbed to complications from the COVID-19 virus at the age of 94. Carm was such a joy to know and seemed invincible, yet the Pandemic had other ideas. He leaves behind a legacy of achievement, a large and loving family, and some big shoes to fill.
Across our region, many families have dealt with relatives falling ill from the virus, and sadly, others have also passed away during recent days.
Businesses are challenged to find the appropriate response to a complex landscape of government mandates, staffing schedules as employees become ill or quarantined and/or children at school are exposed/quarantined, and issues related to timely deliveries or product procurement that make it hard to meet customer demand at a time when the need for their wares might be unusually high. Prices are trending higher, service is often harder to find, and people are getting frustrated. Restaurants continue to struggle to attain large enough staffs to fully operate, and several more have closed in recent weeks. Contractors, auto repairs and other such businesses report being behind schedule, delayed by high demand for their services and a slow-moving supply chain for much-needed replacement parts. Educators grapple with how to keep students safe, complying with increasingly difficult guidelines while trying to give pupils a quality education.
And of course, health care professionals continue to have it worst of all, on the front lines of a seemingly never-ending Pandemic.
Even at this juncture, two years in, there are no easy answers.
If a business can be flexible, we have seen that modern technology can allow employees quarantining at home to have a productive workday via Zoom, remote networking technology, email, etc. This method has helped employees who might otherwise be clustered in office cubicles to stay socially distanced and has ensured that someone will be able to cover the office in the event of an outbreak. But that doesn’t work for everyone, and for many businesses, the grind continues.
We are a resilient community, and we will get through this — let’s all continue to be patient, understanding and helpful with one another!