State lawmakers on Monday joined Anthony Anton, president and CEO of the Washington Hospitality Association, to discuss financial relief for the hospitality industry amid the coronavirus pandemic.
At a press conference, Sens. Karen Keiser and Shelly Short and Reps. Gina Mosbrucker and Larry Springer agreed the industry needed urgent relief due to increased pandemic restrictions. Rules that went into effect last week closed Washington restaurants to indoor dining and restricted outdoor dining to five people per table through Dec. 14.
The restrictions follow a recent spike in confirmed Covid-19 cases in Washington and across the country. On Monday, more than 5,600 new cases were confirmed in the state, as well as 37 new deaths, bringing the toll up to 2,775.
Gov. Jay Inslee and public health officials said data has shown that restaurant service has led to a high number of outbreaks, KOMO News reported.
Springer, a wine bar owner who represents the 45th district, said early on in the pandemic he worked with Inslee’s office to create health and safety protocols that would allow certain businesses to reopen. Springer is “cautiously optimistic” that the hospitality industry can get back on its feet again if safety protocols are followed that allow more businesses to open.
To ensure hospitality businesses survive, Springer said Congress and the White House “have got to step up” for the industry.
“We're at a spot now where we had hoped back then we wouldn't be, that the protocols and the sacrifices that we hope people would make would get us out of this,” Springer. “We’re not there yet. The thing I feared the most back then was a second shutdown, which is kind of where we are right now.”
Keiser, who represents the 33rd district, said with “the longest-running shutdown,” employees in the hospitality industry are suffering due to unemployment benefits running low. Her district includes Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and has been hit hard by hospitality industry shutdowns, she said.
Last week, Keiser signed onto a letter calling on Inslee to reconsider the ban of indoor dining. She said a meeting about the letter was held Thursday, which led to Inslee increasing aid to $135 million for businesses, workers and families, $70 million of which includes grants and $30 million in loans.
“For every day we wait, for every day that doesn’t get some help to these small businesses and the hospitality industry, we’re going to have people’s holidays ruined, their dreams ruined, lose their jobs. And because they’ve already used up their unemployment, they’re going to have a real problem accessing benefits,” Keiser said.
Anton said that an estimated 35% of hospitality industry businesses would close due to the pandemic. Gov. Jay Inslee’s $70 million in grants for the hospitality only cover “about 2 days of a four-week shutdown,” Anton said.
“We estimate that this four-week shutdown will cost restaurants alone around $800 million in labor and hard costs,” Anton said.
Mosbrucker, who represents that 14th district, said the shutdown has “destroyed” small businesses and the hospitality industry. Mosbrucker is also a hotel owner with 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry.
She said Inslee’s grants are not enough and that relief loans could cause hospitality businesses to go under quicker by getting them further into debt.
“The reality is, we don’t have customers,” Mosbrucker said. “I had to close my hotel for two months, and to make up that revenue is just not possible,” she said.
Short, who represents the 7th district, said relief for the restaurant industry needs to happen before January.
“There are CARES funds that can be used right now,” Short said. “We need to step forward and do the emergent things that need to be done and then look at what we can do in the near term to continue to make sure that folks are OK.”
