San Francisco announces measures to support small businesses impacted by novel coronavirus
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- San Francisco Mayor London Breed stood alongside city leaders to announce immediate measures to support small businesses in response to COVID-19.
Mayor Breed stood alongside eight out of eleven board to supervisors and other city officials in Chinatown Wednesday after she announced a ban of large gatherings over 1,000.
"We're in Chinatown because we know the business impacts in this community have probably felt the economic impacts more than any other community in San Francisco. We have worked together to come up with a number of immediate things we can do now," Mayor Breed said.
Details on those measures can be found here.
"We are allowing small business to defer the next round of quarterly business taxes to next year of February 2021," Breed said.
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The city is also establishing a relief fund of one million dollars which will provide small businesses at least $10,000 grants.
Supervisor Aaron Peskin said Chinatown is indeed suffering.
Vivian Lo, owner of Chen Tseng Trading Co., LTD., and Ed Jew, a member of a group called the Waverly Place Merchant Association, handed out letters after the press conference addressed to Breed. The letter suggested a voucher system in Chinatown, where shoppers will be given a coupon at one store that can be used at another Chinatown business like a restaurant or cafe as an incentive.
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Lo also suggested San Francisco residents and people in the Bay Area should show support for Chinatown, because tourism is down.
"It's terrible, quiet and everyday we stand over there for nothing. All three months it's so quiet and we cannot afford to pay for the rent," Lo said.
Mayor Breed said even though this is a small step forward, there will be a number of more announcements to support small businesses to come.
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