Note: Mayor Darrell Steinberg updated his guidance on March 15, saying that bars, breweries, clubs and wineries should temporarily close and that people 65 and older or with underlying medical conditions should self-isolate at home following an announcement from Gov. Gavin Newsom calling for this. Read more about Steinberg's updated guidance here.
On Thursday Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg announced new rules in the city to try and slow the spread of COVID-19, including canceling large events of more than 250 people.
But even before Steinberg's announcement, Sacramento businesses and event organizers were making changes to their plans.
At first, there were going to be no beads or hand-outs Saturday at the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festivities in Old Sacramento. But now the parade is canceled.
“It’s undeniable it will have an economic impact,” said Emilie Cameron, Communications and Public Affairs Director for the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, of the parade that attracts up to 40,000 people.
The decision by the Old Sacramento Waterfront came the morning after the governor’s plan.
Cameron says many of the businesses and bars in the 66 blocks it represents will continue to stay open despite the cancellation. But she admits the parade cancellation is a disappointment.
“It’s a tradition, but at the same time we have a responsibility to ensure the safety of our community,” Cameron said.
In a similar response, the NBA announced Wednesday it would be suspending the remainder of its season, and the Sacramento Kings canceled their planned game at the Golden 1 Center Wednesday night.
But not all businesses feel they have the luxury of just closing up shop. Ray Ballestero, owner of Alaro Craft Brewery, said Wednesday that he and his restauranter friends have noticed fewer and fewer patrons.
“We still see our regulars, but tourism is down and that’s a big driver,” said Ballestero. “We just stopped by two other restaurants to see how business was doing and they said business is down and it’s really hurting them.”
As a restaurant with just around two years under its belt, Ballestero’s big fear is that he would have to close the restaurant down for a period of time.
“Our overhead is here whether we are open or not," he said. "And I brew on site, so all my tanks are like refrigerators. We are running those energy bills whether we’re open or not.”
But larger spaces in Sacramento that aren’t quite the size of the Golden 1 Center are not shutting down. Venues like Harlow’s Night Club are taking precautions — like extra hand sanitizer stations, increased sanitation behind the bar and around the club — but can’t afford to not put on shows.
“We take what the governor says as advice, but we can’t afford to close shop until the end of March,” said Daniel Romandia, lead marketer and booker at Harlow's.
Over the past month two bands have canceled shows and Romandia says people are still buying tickets.
“We’re still moving tickets. Monday we had a show of just over 350 people,” said Romandia. “People are concerned, but for the most part they are not afraid of it yet.”
In a Facebook post, club management said, “Shows and tours may cancel, but as long as musicians are willing to perform and you all are willing to attend, then we will remain open.”
Should You Go Out To Eat? Or Go To A Bar?
But what do these restrictions mean for everyday life? Brandon Brown, an associate professor of medicine at UC Riverside, says they don’t necessarily mean sequestering yourself at home. But he says take precaution — especially if you go to a popular bar with as many as 100 people there.
“In this case the likelihood of you getting coronavirus from someone who has it is much higher,” said Brown. “So maybe if it's a popular bar, and there's that many people there the guidance would be, don't go to that bar.”
Brown says in his daily routine — the gym, some public events and dining out — there are already fewer people. But he says that’s not necessarily a reason to not live your life, which could have a negative impact on businesses.
“The fear of coronavirus is already causing kind of a downfall in customers going out to restaurants,” said Brown. “If we don't want to go out to restaurants, that's cool. So for restaurants, we could, you know, order out and kind of have the restaurant experience without being there.”
Mayor Darrell Steinberg says Sacrementans shouldn’t be scared to eat out, but if they are they can use a food delivery app.
“So really order from our restaurants or patronize our local businesses. Do it in the right way and in the safe way,” Steinberg said.
But what about that six feet of social distancing when in small groups that Gov. Newsom talked about in his Wednesday night announcement? Brown says standing six feet away from someone at a public event is the best case scenario, because the idea is to slow down the spread of the virus.
“Now, if you're in a social setting, that's probably impossible to actually undertake,” said Brown. “So the next best thing is to avoid touching your hands to your eyes, nose or mouth. If you see anyone that's coughing or sneezing or that is looking visibly sick, you know, stay away from them.”
