FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM MARСH 5, 2020 • THE QUEENS COURIER 3
Meng introduces legislation to assist small
biz owners aff ected by coronavirus outbreak
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
A Queens congresswoman is introducing
Coronavirus concerning, but not as big a threat as other illnesses: Cuomo
BY MARK HALLUM
mhallum@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor
Bill de Blasio made a rare partnership in
a Monday press conference briefi ng the
public on coronavirus as the fi rst confi
rmed case in Manhattan was reported
Sunday night.
Cuomo emphasized that while coronavirus
is concerning, it’s not as grave a
threat as other illnesses such as ebola or
infl uenza.
“Avian fl u, ebola, SARS, MERS, measles,
right? So we have gone through this
before,” Cuomo continued. “When you
look at the reality here, about 80% of people
who are infected with the coronavirus
self-resolve… 20 percent get ill. Th e mortality
rate estimated to be about 1.4 percent
– what does that mean? Th e normal
fl u mortality rate is about 0.6 percent.”
Th e governor repeated several times
that the fi rst confi rmed case in a healthcare
worker who recently returned from
Iran did not require hospitalization. She
is treating herself at home with her husband
– also a healthcare worker – and
taking “textbook” protocols to prevent
the spread.
Cuomo said the state’s goal is to test
about 1,000 people per day, if necessary,
to contain the illness, which originated
in China back in December and has since
spread to dozens of countries around the
world.
“Th ere is no doubt that there will be
more cases where we fi nd people who test
positive, we said early on it wasn’t a question
of if but when,” Cuomo said. “Our
challenge now is to test as many people as
we can. We’re not going to eliminate the
spread but we can limit the spread and
testing is very important.”
Buses and other transit infrastructure
will be treated with bleach, Cuomo said,
and the city has reserved 1,200 hospital
beds for coronavirus patients.
Cuomo indicated that the state will
be contacting passengers who were
onboard the same fl ight from Iran
with the infected woman and her husband.
Th e patient did not use public
transportation; she took a private
car home.
De Blasio reinforced the governor’s
stance that the coronavirus leaves
healthy New Yorkers with nothing to
fear but that those with exhibiting fl ulike
symptoms and have a “nexus” to
aff ected countries.
“Th is is a disease we’re learning
about, the international community is
learning about, but so far it does not
seem to be a disease that focuses on the
kids; in fact, the opposite,” de Blasio
said. “Th e facts in fact show us that this
is a situation that can be managed.”
Transmission requires prolonged
exposure to an aff ected person, according
to offi cials.
Cuomo said he was confi dent in the federal
government’s eff ort to combat the disease,
spearheaded by Vice President Mike
Pence, but said they were not off ering the
state nearly enough support. Stemming
the spread of coronavirus, or COVID-
19, is bound to be costly for New York,
he said.
Photo by Mark Hallum
Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio in a side-by-side address about the fi rst coronavirus
case in New York City.
a new legislation to assist small business
owners suff ering economic harm
from the coronavirus outbreak.
Congresswoman Grace Meng and
her colleagues Rep. Nydia Velazquez
(D-NY) and Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) initiated
the “Small Business Relief from
Communicable Disease Induced
Economic Hardship Act.”
Under the legislation, small businesses
would be able to access Economic Injury
Disaster Loans of up to $2 million to
help meet fi nancial obligations and operating
expenses, which would otherwise
have been met if it were not for the virus’
spread. Th e bill specifi es that the loans
would be interest free. Companies that are
major employers could be potentially eligible
for larger loans.
Concerns about the coronavirus have
hit many small Asian-American owned
businesses that are severely struggling
due to misinformation and stigmatization,
according to Meng.
The Flushing Chinese Business
Association had previously reported a 30
percent decrease in sales and customers at
Asian-owned restaurants and gift shops.
Additionally, to educate the community
and dispel rumors of coronavirus, local
elected offi cials and community organizations
held press conferences to reassure
the public that New York City is highly
prepared in the case of an outbreak.
“Small businesses are the backbone of
our economy in Queens and throughout
New York City,” Meng said. “Th ey
enhance our neighborhoods, bring investment
and innovation to local communities,
and provide jobs to area residents.
Government must be a strong partner in
helping small businesses succeed and we
must not abandon them in their time of
need. When small businesses succeed,
America succeeds!”
Economists recently lowered the global
forecasts for major economies from
2.6 percent to 2.4 percent. Much of the
recent slowing of the economy is linked
to the coronavirus, which has weakened
demand in travel and tourism. Besides
the decline in foot traffi c for many retailers
and restaurants, particularly those in
Chinese communities, small fi rms have
experienced challenges related to their
supply chains.
Companies sourcing products and services
from China have had delays or complete
cancellations of orders, resulting in
lower profi ts for the company. Besides
these challenges, small fi rms must start
the process of preparing their companies
for the potential to have employees
become infected and remain home
or telework. In many instances, a small
employer may be unable to absorb the
additional workforce reductions without
a coinciding loss in productivity.
In Chu’s district, some Asian-owned
businesses are reporting a 50 percent drop
in customers, she said.
“In New York City, before there was
even a single case of COVID-19, some
restaurants saw as much as an 80 percent
decline in customers. We have even seen
instances of illegal, fraudulent letters that
baselessly urge people to avoid Asianowned
businesses,” Chu said. “Th ese are
serious losses that can have long-lasting
impacts on our local economies.”
Velazquez added, “Th at properly preparing
for the impact of the coronavirus
requires a multi-front strategy, which
includes being ready to address the very
real economic fallout we may see. Th is
legislation would be a good fi rst step to
help our small fi rms in New York and
around the nation who sustain economic
injury from COVID-19.”
File photo courtesy of DOT
Under the legislation proposed by Congresswoman Grace Meng and her colleagues, small business
owners would be able to access federal loans of up to $2 million if they suff er losses related to the
coronavirus outbreak.
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