MILTON â The coronavirus pandemic impacted nearly every aspect of life in the Central Susquehanna Valley, with non-essential businesses being forced to close their doors, churches conducting services online and schools switching to virtual learning models.
With few cars passing along Broadway on March 16 in Milton, the owners of two restaurants located in the heart of the downtown business area expressed their concerns about the impact the coronavirus could have on their livelihoods.
âThis is awful, mostly for my employees,â Lisa Showers, the owner of Lisaâs Milltown Deli, said as she stood behind the counter at her business. âIâm really worried about them. We have to cut the hours just to break even.â
MILTON â Are we going to come out of the end of the year with our doors still open?
Tea Jay Aikey, president and CEO of the Central PA Chamber of Commerce, said that is a question owners of restaurants, gyms and entertainment venues are asking themselves in light of Pennsylvania s latest restrictions imposed on the businesses.
The commonwealth has banned indoor dinning at restaurants for the next three weeks, halted school sporting activities, and ordered gyms, theaters and casinos to close. The next three weeks are going to seem longer than the last 10 months, Aikey said. A lot of these places host holiday parties, probably the most lucrative time of the year for these folks.