Mount Pleasant Magazine Documenting Covid-19

60 www.CoronavirusMag.com | www.ReadMPM.com | www.ILoveMountPleasant.com feature essential and people began to rally behind them. With no dine-in seating allowed, conditions were put in place: drive-thru or carry-out orders only, curbside delivery and reduced hours. As a result of the slowdown, businesses unfortunately also were forced to reduce their staff. But the community stood up and people began purposefully ordering out because they wanted their favorite restaurants to survive. Websites were launched directing locals to restaurant links for easier ordering access. Our own community even arranged a series of different dates for food trucks to visit neighborhoods. Protocols were put in place for single person in-line ordering, along with sufficient social distancing in a waiting area parking lot. People have become creative in these trying times! Restaurants are not the only industry suffering economically. As the pandemic has worsened locally and the number of affected people has risen, the restrictions have grown tighter with the list of essential businesses further whittling. Independent salons, recreational facilities, retail stores—things we personally believe are essential to our day-to-day lives—did not make the list. Again, ingenuity prevailed and the call went out to support local—maybe it meant purchasing a gift card from a store or service vendor you know you will use at a later date. But the fact is people seem to understand small businesses are the backbone of our area and they want to support them, even if it means they have to do it from their homes for the time being. Real estate agents in the area have seen a shift in their traffic, too. Carey Nikonchuk from The Brennaman Group in Mount Pleasant said, “Things do look different for us these days. Disclaimers are in place when you schedule a busin ss