Everything shut down the 2nd week of March. Over the last several months, there has been a phased reopen plan in which Louisville is in phase 3 as on November, 2020. Similar to other cities in the country, this allows restaurants, bars, and even commercial venues to operate at a 50% capacity and social distancing. As for financial support, $20 million was able to be used for hundreds of small businesses.
Scroll below to read the full interview from November, 2020 with the Louisville Pilot City Leaders, Zack, Scott and Nicole.
What did the overall situation look like in your city when the pandemic hit?
Everything shut down the 2nd week of March. Our city and State did great with minimizing the spread, and we have moved slowly toward recovery. Another challenge initially was received guidance from the state on how we could begin to reopen, specifically group gatherings and events.
What is the current situation in your city? What has changed?
We are in Phase 3 which equates to 50% capacity at restaurants and bars. Commercial venues and event spaces are able to operate at no more than 50% of their capacity with proper social distancing. Some venues are looking into doing a few outdoor shows before the Winter hits. Strong local Indie coalition LOVS was born out of REVS (Go Scotty Haulter!)
What did you get out of being a pilot city in the REVS initiative?
The sharing of ideas, protocols, navigating not only the safety aspect, but also the economic aspect. REVS also gave us another platform to tout locally in support of reopening initiatives.
Were you able to precure funding for the local venues? If so, where did the support come from?
Yes, we were able to procure $20 Million of Grant assistance, $50K for 400 small businesses.
Cover Photo Credit: Photo by andrew welch