GREAT FALLS — Election Day meant the start of a new chapter for many people - some of whom are small business owners struggling to make ends meet as we continue through the Covid pandemic.
In Great Falls, Cattlemen's Cut Steakhouse owner Julie Meyer hopes that with the election behind us, politicians will stop bickering, get to work, and help businesses that are struggling due to the pandemic.
She said they need to see more funding like the Paycheck Protection Program to help keep businesses afloat and people employed as restrictions continue.
Meyer had this to say to officials who are voted in after Tuesday: "Just do your jobs. Help us stay in business- help our communities stay alive. Protect us and keep your promises that you're going to help us and move forward."
Meyer said they're losing thousands of dollars each week as restrictions tighten and residents hunker down for winter.
They're reminding people to support small businesses this holiday season through gift cards.
(NOVEMBER 1) The tightened COVID-19 restrictions the Cascade City-County Board of Health voted in favor of on Wednesday took effect Sunday, November 1.
The spread rate for new cases in Cascade County currently sits at 64 per 100,000 people. Until new cases in Cascade County drop to 25 or fewer per 100,000 people for four weeks, the following restrictions will remain in place:
- All in-person gatherings, indoors and outdoors, are now capped at 50 people regardless of social distancing or whether the events are indoors or outdoors. The previous limit was 250 people for indoor events and 500 for outdoor events. There are exemptions for schools, polling places and places of worship. For schools, there is no change from the Governor’s Directive, which exempts local school districts, school boards and all school-related activities. Polling places still require masks and social distancing. Weekly worship Services in churches remain at 75% occupancy unless social distancing cannot be maintained. Childcare facilities are also exempt from this.
- Capacity at bars, restaurants, casinos, cafes, coffee houses, brew pubs, taverns, breweries, microbreweries, distilleries, wineries, tasting rooms, clubs, gyms, and movie theaters is now limited to 50 percent. There is an exemption for food service establishments that serve a population which depends on that establishment for their sole source of food, such as school cafeterias, hospital and healthcare facilities, and crisis shelters.
Face coverings are still required in public places, per the governor's mandate earlier this year.
