Mayor Bottoms says coronavirus will have ‘huge’ impact on local economy

By Collin Kelley

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has acknowledged that the economic impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic will be significant in Atlanta.

“We are asking our corporate community to combine compassion with commerce,” Bottoms said, encouraging businesses to keep paying hourly employees if possible. She noted that Mercedes BenzStadium has committed to paying its hourly employees despite cancelled events.

“Our hospitality industry will take a huge hit,” Bottoms said. “We are asking residents and visitors to dig into their pocket and tip a little more if you can. We are looking for ways to tap into the city’s reserves and extend resources.”

Most restaurants and fast food restaurants – including Chick-fil-A and The Varsity – closed their dining rooms and moved to take-out or delivery options only as a ban on gatherings was put into place. Some restaurants closed completely.

Supermarkets scrambled to keep essentials like toilet paper, soap, fresh meat and water on the shelves. Publix supermarkets and Walmart stores started closing early for cleaning and restocking, while Kroger supermarkets advertised for extra help to keep shelves stocked overnight.

Many businesses – including shopping mecca Ponce City Market – also decided to close as the gathering ban went into effect and customers were staying home. Some got creative, including A Cappella Books in Little Five Points and Charis Books and More in Decatur, which offering free or $1 shipping, and Criminal Records in Little

Five Points, which was offering curbside pick-up.

The city’s arts and culture community is also reeling from COVID-19, with theatres, museums, concert venues and tourist attractions all shuttering to aid in social distancing.

At Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Bottoms said the travel bans and reduction in domestic and international flights will have a “huge impact” economically on the world’s busiest airport. The airport is one of the city’s largest job centers with more than 26,000 employees.

“We are looking at legislation on how to help concessionaires at the airport,” Bottoms said.

The City of Atlanta moved to mitigate some of the economic stress on residents by suspending water service termination and evictions for 60 days, and Georgia Power and Atlanta Gas Light agreed not to terminate service for unpaid bills during the crisis.

Bottoms also issued an executive order creating a $7 million emergency fund to provide assistance to those impacted by coronavirus.

The resources are designated to fund emergency assistance to food programs for children and seniors, homeless preparedness, support to small businesses, assistance to hourly wage earners and other areas adversely impacted by COVID-19.

“Our communities are in need of help and we are listening,” Bottoms said in a statement. “This is one step to provide relief and we are going to continue to look for opportunities to help those in need as we go through this together.”