by Emily Reneau, President & CEO, Atascadero Chamber
Dear Members,
This week our business community has begun feeling the impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). The Chamber is working closely with the City of Atascadero, regional chambers, and our state chamber association to ensure we are informed about policies and the health and wellness of our community. The purpose of this post is to communicate what we are doing and learning on behalf of our members. Helpful websites include the following:
- All COVID-19 questions & concerns, please go to: ReadySLO.org
- Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development has compiled helpful information for employers, employees and all Californians: https://business.ca.gov/coronavirus-2019/
- Our local Chamber website for businesses: https://www.atascaderochamber.org/covid19
Given the recommendations provided by health officials and Governor Newsom to limit group events, we have postponed all of our events scheduled for March and will reevaluate on March 31st what the plans are going forward.
Our Staff is working to innovate ways to convene the business community during this time of “social distancing”. We have set up a Facebook group called “Atascadero Businesses Adapt to COVID-19“. This page will allow each of you to share real-time actions that you are taking to comfort your customers and keep your employees safe in this time of uncertainty. You may want to share how you are communicating to customers all of the safe and sanitary things you’re doing within your business, or that you have begun to home-deliver your goods or services.
Your customers want to know that it is safe and convenient to shop, eat and stay with you. We encourage you to tell them through your normal media channels how you are adapting to the addition of COVID-19 to our global landscape and then we ask that you share those ideas on this forum with other businesses, so that they too can implement them.
Although the Atascadero Chamber office is still open for business, our Visitor’s Center will be closed in an effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. We are a resource for you and we hope you will reach out with any concerns, questions or help you may need. Please email or call us at (805) 466-2044. In an effort to keep our community healthy, we are implementing the following protocols throughout the visitor center and BridgeWorks:
- Hand sanitizer is available for all visitors and staff
- Our team is committed to frequent hand washing during the day
- We sanitize all surfaces regularly
- Signs have been posted in our co-working space reminding our members of proper hand washing hygiene
Atascadero is a strong community and that strength comes from all of us working together. You, the businesses are an innovative and powerful group. Please send us updates on what you are doing to thrive during this time and we can pass those tips on to our business community. Do you have an online option? Are you delivering meals and/or product? Help us get the word out so we can all ban together!
