14 December 2020
ST. LOUIS COUNTY (KMOV.com)– Some St. Louis County {restaurant|dining establishment} owners aren’t {backing down|pulling back} after County Executive Dr. Sam Page {said|stated} the indoor dining {ban|restriction} will {remain|stay} in {place|location} for another {two|2} weeks.
The {ban|restriction}, put in {place|location} in mid-November, {aimed|intended} to {cut down on|reduce|minimize} the transmission of COVID-19, according to Page. While {{restaurants|dining establishments} and bars|bars and {restaurants|dining establishments}} are not the only {contributor|factor} to the spread of the {virus|infection}, Page {said|stated} they do {play a role|contribute}.
“We{‘ve| have actually} been here 16 years. we{‘ve| have actually} {worked hard|striven}, {very|extremely|really} {hard|difficult|tough} and I can’t see {giving|providing|offering} it up,” {said|stated} Roseann Espino, who owns Espino’s Mexican Bar and Grill in Chesterfield with her {husband|hubby|spouse|other half|partner}. “Who does Sam Page {think|believe} he is?”
Espino {spent|invested} {nearly|almost} $ 20,000 on mitigation efforts inside her {restaurant|dining establishment}, {including|consisting of} glass partitions, sanitizer, {heaters|heating units|heating systems}, deep {cleaning|cleansing} and {replacing|changing} all of the {appliances|home appliances|devices} in the {restrooms|washrooms|bathrooms|toilets}. Now, her {heaters|heating units|heating systems} sit unused and her glass partitions {separate|different} {booths|cubicles} with chairs stacked on top.
“I can’t {afford|pay for|manage} to pay my {staff|personnel}, we{‘ve| have actually} {had to|needed to} cut our hours and we can’t sustain this,” she {said|stated}.
She’s {cut down|reduced|lowered} her {staff|personnel} to {just|simply} her {immediate|instant} {family|household} to {help with|assist with|aid with} carryout orders. Still, she {said|stated} {revenues|incomes|profits|earnings} {have|have actually} been slashed about 80 percent and she grows {frustrated|annoyed|disappointed} when {customers|clients|consumers} {choose|select|pick} to {travel|take a trip} to surrounding counties to {eat|consume} {indoors|inside your home|inside}.
“Is this what we’re going to teach our kids? That this is how we live? It{‘s like| resembles} we{‘re in| remain in} {a third world country|a developing nation} and it’s not {necessary|required|needed|essential},” she {said|stated}.
At Tucker’s {Place|Location} in Manchester, about 90 percent of the {staff|personnel} {has|has actually} been {let go|released}. Owner Neil Struharik {said|stated} it would be {cheaper|less expensive|more affordable} and {easier|simpler|much easier} to close the doors, {but|however} he {stays|remains} {open to|available to|open up to} {help out|assist} {a few|a couple of} {employees|workers|staff members} who {need|require} it.
“The {few|couple of} we do have working, we’re {really|truly|actually} {staying|remaining} open for them,” he {said|stated}. “If we weren’t open, there would be no {safety net|safeguard} and {nothing|absolutely nothing} there to {help|assist} them.”
Vince Gray is the {kitchen|kitchen area|cooking area} {manager|supervisor} and {has|has actually} {worked at|operated at} Tucker’s for {six|6} years. He and his {wife|spouse|partner|other half|better half} are {expecting|anticipating} {a baby|an infant|a child} in January, which he {said|stated} puts him in {a tough|a difficult|a hard} {spot|area}.
“I {want to|wish to} {protect|safeguard|secure} my {family|household} and keep them safe, {but|however} at the {same|exact same|very same} time I {have to|need to} {make a living|earn a living},” he {said|stated}. “It’s {kind of|type of|sort of} like {almost|practically|nearly} losing your {job|task} for {not doing|refraining from doing} anything {wrong|incorrect}.”
Struharik {said|stated} he, too, is losing about 80 percent of his {revenue|income|profits|earnings} and {wants to|wishes to} see {data|information} to support the closure.
“You’re not {changing|altering} {people|individuals}’s {behavior|habits}, they can still {go out|head out} to {stores|shops} and {eat|consume} inside {places|locations}, as long as they {travel|take a trip} to the city or St. Charles County,” he {said|stated}. “I{‘ve| have actually} {never|never ever} seen or {heard of|become aware of} any {data|information} that {shows|reveals} indoor dining {helps|assists} {spread|spread out} COVID-19, in {particular|specific} {just|simply} those {restaurants|dining establishments} in the county.”
{During|Throughout} his Monday {morning|early morning} {briefing|rundown|instruction}, Dr. Sam Page {said|stated} the CDC {outlines|describes|details|lays out} indoor dining as {a reason|a factor} for the spread of COVID-19, {but|however} {has|has actually} not {released|launched} any {local|regional} {data|information} to {the public|the general public} that supports that claim.