The COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown and changes affecting so many aspects of daily life in the United States that is has caused since last March have forced most to put their lives on hold. Several jobs were revoked and lost, a lot of non-essential businesses had to close, and everyone started to wear masks (and some people donned’s gloves) to avoid getting contaminated.
Almost a year later, there are still some small business that, even if they are open, they have a lot of rules that do not allow customers to enjoy them as before. Some pools are closed, and the way the professional environment changed is affecting most people, the way they work, the way they shop and certainly the way they socialize.
If there is something good about the pandemic, it is that showed everyone that nothing is forever and that their economic stability is not as stable as they may have once considered it; Suddenly, someone could lose their job and be left with nothing else.
So many businesses have been affected due to the Covid-19 situation; the professional environment changed in a way that most people are no longer doing what they prepared themselves to do. A lot of people had to “go back” and reinvent themselves. Some people started working as delivery drivers, some people started to work as a salesperson selling their stuff, and some others had to divide their time to get a part-time job that would help them cover the lost hours and get the bread to the table.
According to the Kern County Public Health Department, there are about 94,113 cases of Covid-19 in Kern County as of Feb. 1. This means that Kern County is still under the purple tier so there are a lot of business that are not open such as restaurants, some theme parks, and some gyms, or some activities such as indoor dining or indoor concerts, that are still not allowed.
As of this writing, there is still businesses that have remain closed. Several local businesses that have sued Calif. Gov. Gavin Newson because of the measures he implemented to avoid the spread of the virus, according to a statement by the journal BakersfieldNow. These measures have been affecting businesses that had to close their door permanently or, in some cases, forever.
Some people are getting fired from their jobs permanently or furloughed for a little while. Either way, the circumstances have made people feel so uncertain.
Also, As reported in the Bakersfield Californian, Mechanics Bank Arena and other local venues lost nearly $800,000 due to the pandemic, converting it into another consequence of the current situation.
Life has changed since the pandemic started, and it will be difficult for it to go back to how things were. So many jobs had to move online, and people had to reinvent themselves and learn how to use certain tools; however, that could be the bright side of it. COVID-19 has forced people to become resourceful in ways that include and it’s adapting to the new technologies and learning a lot of new things, like how to socialize at a safe distance.
Although the situation is extremely difficult, there is still hope as long people stick to the protocols to prevent the virus, people are eventually going to be able to go back to their jobs and hang out with their friends with no fear of being contaminated.
With the development and emergency FDA approval of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, there is also a lot of hope. The distribution is going far more slowly than most people, including the new presidential administration would like, but hopefully, this is going to be a chance to go back to a slightly different “normal life.”