AUSTIN (KXAN) — As coronavirus cases continue to rise in Travis County, local leaders are warning against Black Friday shopping in-person.
“We recommend that you not go out and shop during those peak times,” said Stephanie Hayden, Director of Austin Public Health. “There would be a significant amount of people out during that time. So we really want individuals to be as safe as they can be and use alternatives.”
“There’s so many ways that you can shop instead of going on the busiest day of the year to shop,” Hayden added.
“The things that we do in the next few weeks will determine just how quickly we get back to being able to get out and about in the spring,” said Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce CEO Laura Huffman.
The Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce is encouraging people to keep supporting local businesses, however, by taking advantage of options like shopping online or home delivery throughout the holidays.
“We know that our small businesses in Austin have been hit really hard,” Huffman said. “Anything you can do to lend your support to them, whether that’s curbside pick-up for Christmas presents or delivery curbside pick up from your favorite local restaurants. Give an extra tip. Let people know that we’re in this with them and we want to make sure that they can recover to the extent possible.”
Huffman says the next few months will be critical for a lot of businesses that are struggling to hold on.
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