Sheldon, Iowa — During Thursday’s daily press conference, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds announced the extension of the current COVID-19 disaster period, effectively ordering Iowa businesses that were earlier ordered closed to remain closed through April 7th.
Sheldon Development Director Curt Strouth talks about the governor’s extended closure order.
(As above) “All existing closures which included you know restaurants and bars that we have experienced over the past week and a half governor Reynolds actually extended that an additional week up until April seventh that went into effect as of ten o’clock last night which was Thursday evening so all bars restaurants were extended an additional week up until April seventh.”
Restaurants will still be able to offer carryout and delivery food service during the extension.
In addition, Governor Reynolds announced the ordered closure of several new types of businesses, according to Strouth.
(As above) “She also ordered the closure of some additional retail stores in the state of Iowa which includes bookstores clothing and shoe stores jewelry stores luggage cosmetics perfume and beauty supply stores furniture stores florists and home furnishing stores so that puts out a pretty big blanket on what we have here in our community as far as additional retail and in those businesses that are available to our community.”
He says the closure orders are already having an affect on traffic in downtown Sheldon.
(As above) “If you drive around downtown specifically our community it’s very unfortunate to see, but you’re not gonna see much for vehicle traffic downtown until we get this is lifted and as of right now it’s going to go through April seventh so we’re looking at least over week out until we get there but let’s just all hope that this thing gets contained and controlled and we’re able to get back to you, starting to get back to what we call normal again.”
In addition to the extension of closure order, and new categories of close business order, the governor placed a ban on all non-essential and elective surgeries, as well as dental and orthodontic procedures until such time as COVID-19 is no longer a threat. The governor’s order specifically EXCLUDED emergency procedures from the ban.
Strouth says, in an effort to help Sheldon businesses as much as possible, the City and the SCDC are running a special “Shop Sheldon” promotion.
(As above) “We have a promotion out there right now for every hundred dollars that you spend it any business in Sheldon you can redeem those receipts to our office and receive back ten dollars and selling dollars to to use whenever you want to within the next year so we are rewarding people for shopping local more now than ever. And get creative with that now I just because you can’t walk into the the the footprint of our stores I think if you call them I think there’s a livery service potentially available you can buy online gift cards are a great idea right now you get cash flow into our businesses and our owners hand, and it’s something that you can use later as this all clears up so your cards are really really good idea right now for people who wanted to help our local businesses with cash flow and they deal with you these unprecedented times and just try to get through April seven at this point and maybe longer.”
Strouth says he believes that through this period residents will come to appreciate what “shop local” really means. And he says that, while times are tough right now, he’s confident northwest Iowans will come out stronger and more unified once the COVID-19 threat is over.
