Coronavirus Update: NYC small business owners hold rally demanding assistance as restrictions loom

Coronavirus update for NYC

ByEyewitness News WABC logo

Monday, November 23, 2020

NYC small business owners hold rally demanding assistance as restrictions loom

Many small business owners rallied Sunday in the fight for help as COVID cases rise and restrictions loom.

NEW YORK (WABC) -- With the number of cases continuing to rise, the latest round of restrictions could come as soon as early next week.

The businesses that will likely be most affected by it are restaurants and other small businesses - already struggling to stay open.

Many small business owners rallied Sunday as they fight for help.

The infection rate 7-day average was slightly lower than Saturday's report of 3.11%, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Sunday.

"The restrictions that are coming," the mayor said Friday. "I've been very overt in the fact that the governor said an orange zone is coming. By our own projections, based on the state data, that will happen soon after Thanksgiving, probably the first week of December," de Blasio said during a radio appearance.

Elected officials and business owners gathered outside Strand Bookstore in Lower Manhattan and called on Congress to pass a much-needed stimulus to bring them some relief and help them survive the winter.

"They will not be able to continue. They will have to close. That hurts our overall economy. That hurts our employees. It hurts our whole city," Rep. Carolyn Maloney said.

"We have the opportunity to help save businesses and now is the time to step up and do so," Mikey Cole, owner of Mikey Likes It Ice Cream, said.

Meanwhile, restaurants around the city have had a busy weekend without indoor dining and 25 percent capacity indoors, but the mayor has indicated indoor dining may be rolled back in the next week or so due to a citywide positivity rate that is above 3 percent.

That has struggling restaurant owners making preparations as the weather gets colder.

Sunday's rally will be happening in the East Village later this afternoon.