Op-ed: Chamber is working tirelessly to help Philly recover

As we all do everything we can to abide by the recently announced state and local restrictions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we must continue to protect ourselves and those we love to ensure our continued health and safety.

Learning from our experience with federal, state and local guidelines imposed earlier this year, we have a better understanding of the real and negative consequences such restrictions can bring upon enterprises throughout our region, particularly our small businesses that are truly the life blood of our community.

As such, we call upon our local government officials to have a heightened sense of awareness that any policy actions taken on their part will have a ripple effect felt throughout our commercial corridors and neighborhoods, possibly resulting in hundreds of “Going out of Business” signs appearing on storefronts throughout our city.

Recently, the Asian American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia projected that a substantial number of Asian-owned businesses in the city could be shuttered. Likewise, Hispanic communities are seeing their main street restaurant businesses gutted. Many of our city and regional small businesses and restaurants were beginning to grow customers’ confidence, tragically this new round of restrictions will further harm the neighborhoods we are most trying to help.

Throughout the pandemic, your Chamber has been working tirelessly on behalf of our members and our business community to help our City and region recover and grow. We urge our elected officials to join us in our efforts and champion the shop owners, proprietors and employers who drive this economy instead of imposing additional mandates that curtail job growth and hurt our economic prospects.

Rob Wonderling is President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia.