Reopening Anson

Yesterday, Governor Cooper laid out his plan for the first phase of reopening the North Carolina economy from the partial shutdown necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Beginning Friday, May 8, at 5:00 P.M., a new, less restrictive stay-at-home order will go into effect. Under this order, businesses will no longer be classified as essential or nonessential, and most businesses will be allowed to reopen under stringent social distancing and cleanliness requirements. The exception will be businesses where social distancing is difficult or impossible to achieve. These include gyms, movie theaters, hair and nail salons, and tattoo and massage parlors. Retail stores that were previously closed, such as booksellers and clothing shops, may open at 50% of capacity and must routinely disinfect their stores and screen employee health daily. Restaurants will still be limited to drive-thru, takeout, or delivery service under the new rules. 

People will be allowed to travel freely to and from any open business. Outdoor gatherings will be allowed, but they must be of no more than ten people, and social distancing must be maintained. Worship services may also be held outdoors with proper social distancing. Businesses are still encouraged to allow employees to work from home wherever possible. Everyone is strongly encouraged to wear face coverings in public places.

What does this mean for Anson County?

Although Anson County has reported relatively few cases of COVID-19 and no deaths, our location on one of the primary transportation corridors in the state continues to make us somewhat vulnerable when compared to other similarly rural counties. 

We expect that most eligible businesses will reopen either this weekend or on Monday of next week. There is still some ambiguity about what operating at 50% of capacity means and how that will be monitored and enforced. For now, we suggest using half the number of people permitted by the fire code as a guide and using common sense when it comes to tracking this. The important thing is to maintain the six-foot buffer between customers and employees throughout the shopping experience.

It is important to remember that because businesses can reopen, that does not necessarily mean they will reopen. We suspect that some shops and offices operated by people in the high-risk category will remain closed, and some manufacturing and service businesses do not have sufficient demand based on the economy as a whole. Companies that are involved in the automotive, aerospace, or travel sectors, for instance, may not have enough business to justify reopening.

May is the time when Anson County's tourism-related businesses typically ramp up for beach season. Even with parks and beaches reopening and a loosening of travel restrictions, we are unlikely to see an average amount of through-traffic this summer. This will have a significant impact on our small businesses and our sales tax base.

What does this mean for AnsonEDP and REV Uptown?

As a business organization deemed essential by the state, AnsonEDP was never compelled to close our offices. However, out of an abundance of caution and our unique co-location with other entities, we chose to close our offices and mandate that our staff work from home. We also shuttered our incubator and co-working space and arranged for our foodservice partner to provide carryout only during limited hours.

We now believe it is time for AnsonEDP to begin planning for the reopening if our offices and the REV Uptown facility, in compliance with the governor's directive.

Beginning the week of May 11, AnsonEDP will move its offices to the incubator section of the facility, providing greater social distancing for the co-located tenants. Through Phase One, our offices will be open to the public on Wednesdays from 10:00 A.M. until 4:00 P.M. and by appointment. The staff will continue to work from home the other days of the week.

Speckled Paw Coffee will continue its carryout-only service during morning hours. There will be no inside seating.

The conference room will be closed, but meetings of up to 10 can be arranged in the incubator area with prior approval and with proper social distancing.

The incubator and co-working spaces will remain closed, but we will be accepting new member applications in anticipation of reopening during Phase 2, which is likely to begin in June.