PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Businesses will soon have to make tough decisions as new statewide coronavirus restrictions begin at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday.
Under Governor Tom Wolf’s new restrictions, indoor restaurants, indoor fitness activities, youth sports, college sports, entertainment venues, indoor gatherings of 10 or more, and outdoor gatherings of 50 or more will be suspended until January 4, 2021.
The restrictions are a devastating blow to Pete Tolman, the owner of Iron Born Pizza, who told KDKA that layoffs are now looming due to the expected financial losses.
“Christmas is one of our busiest times. Restaurant owners save that kind of money to get us through January and February, which are usually the slowest, ”Tolman said.
The lights went out on Friday afternoon within 6 years. The company runs bike courses on the south side. There, too, the wheels of financial ruin are turning.
“If they’re going to force us to close our business, they’ll have to hand us a check because our landlords still want their rent. Our utilities continue to want their bills to be paid, ”said co-owner Jessica Sims.
Under the new restrictions, other personal businesses – including salons and barber shops – can remain open at 50 percent capacity.
This lets Nikki Becker, the owner of Blic.Bronze.Beauty, breathe a sigh of relief.
“It makes me really sad to believe that there will be people with no income during the holidays. If we had to close shortly before vacation, I wouldn’t be sure whether my business would have made it, ”Becker told KDKA.
The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership also announced that the People’s Gas Holiday Market, Merry Market Pop-Up, and Santa Zoom Experience will be closed for the season on Friday at 9:30 p.m. due to new statewide restrictions and increasing coronavirus cases.
Some of the stores are now online. You can find updates here.
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