Santa Cruz County businesses face renewed shutdown woes
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION) Downtown Santa Cruz is not as busy as it usually is this time of year.
The sidewalks are restaurants are still bustling, but businesses say it is a fraction of what it could be without COVID-19 concerns.
"This is definitely not as crowded as it has been in years past," said Bruno Silva, the manager at Om Gallery.
Businesses say not a lot of locals are coming out. Instead, it is people from out of town areas like Silicon Valley or even Sacramento who are keeping things lit.
"They're coming out because everything is closed where they live, so they're coming to where they can actually go into places," said Silva.
But Santa Cruz County might not be staying as open as they currently are. Health officials say they have seen a dramatic increase in cases, and now the state is flagging the county for the watch list.
That means places like gyms, houses of worship and nail and hair salons might close down again. For Cali Barber Shop owner Karla Guiandia Brown, whom KION interviewed just last week about possible closures, the news brings out a certain defiance.
"We need to work! We cannot stay inside. We has to go out. If I can be able to do haircuts right here in front, I will do it!" said Brown.
Brown believes more needs to be done to prevent a spike in cases because businesses like her's simply cannot afford it. She feels closing down her salon is unfair when other, larger businesses stay open.
"I think we should stay in business and play different because I don't think we're playing right," said Brown.
Some residents are pointing at tourists who do not follow safety protocols as part of the problem. They are hoping things will get better.
"When the tourists come and there's a lot more groups of people in Santa Cruz and the fact that Santa Cruz is such a small place. I think that's the main problem," said Cesar Silva, a Santa Cruz resident.
If Santa Cruz County remains flagged by the state for three days, it will be added to the state's watch list with stricter guidelines. Officials say they expect to have more than a thousand confirmed cases by Monday.
