Barren Parking Lots Tell The Story

I’m a longtime member of the YMCA New Bedford branch. Today, I was turned away by a friend, who happens to be one of the directors. It was expected. The SouthCoast branch issuing a statement Sunday stating the Y will be closed effective Monday morning. The fate of its daycare center remains unknown. That center is open today for the kiddies. The change coming in the wake of Governor Baker’s proclamation reducing the number of people allowed to gather in a single room or space down to 25. One of government’s efforts to flatten the so-called curve on the spread of the coronavirus.

During some chill-filled, late winter moments outside the downtown fitness center, a few cars pulled up. Passersby chirped are you open? Then they accelerate away after learning the Y is not. One smiling young man shows up for his very first day on the job. The smile turning to disgust after learning the facility is indefinitely closed. Membership Director Robyn Shwedo wells up when asked about the impact the closing will have on her staff. These YMCA workers are a close knit family. Many of them labor numerous hours to get by. Shwedo gets puffy-eyed and speechless as she ponders how the staff will survive.

With the gyms, exercise rooms and pool closed to all members and guests, only a skeleton crew is inside to operate the daycare center, clean, answer phones and do necessary paperwork.

Barren parking lots tell the story.

A few miles west in Dartmouth, one of the areas largest breakfast joints is virtually empty. It’s 8 am. IHOP is normally bangin’ with a wait line for a table. Not today. Three people nibbling at two tables. The manager tells me IHOP closes down for at least three weeks starting tomorrow. Of all days, Mr. Governor, halting sit down service beginning on St. Patrick’s day? Nobody will toast to that.

The IHOP manager claims her employees have families, that they “live paycheck to paycheck.” She has no idea how they’ll survive. The servers can’t bus tables from home. After a few days, the workers will miss those nice tips that come with listening to obnoxious jokes.

On the other side of the sparsely used parking lot, Lowe’s is fairly empty. Yep, empty! The Dartmouth store employs approximately 150. That total is well above the 25 person per space maximum in Governor Baker’s directive. Simple arithmetic tells us it won’t take too many customers plus workers to force Lowe’s, and local competitor The Home Depot, to cease operations. Building and remodeling contractors may have to resort to higher priced stores if they want to remain in business. That means contractors will either bite the bullet or pass the buck on to their customers.

The head of the National Institutes of Allergies and Infectious Diseases states the impact from coronavirus is going to get worse before things get better. Dr. Anthony Fauci is quipping about the medical implications. Mark my words. The financial fallout from Covid-19 will be larger than the fatalities!