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Small businesses desperate to reopen join politicians in coronavirus closure protest

A small group of reopen proponents gathered in front of the state capitol in Sacramento today

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — At The Happy Viking restaurant in Yuba City, the once thriving sports pub and eatery is in survival mode.

"Gut wrenching I would say. Sleepless nights," said Sandee Drown, co-owner of The Happy Viking.

Right now, their business is down 74% and the majority of their staff is laid off.

That's why Sandee Drown and husband Chris joined other small businesses and local leaders at a reopen protest near the California State Capitol. They asked Governor Gavin Newsom to lift the stay at home order for rural counties.

"For us moving forward, this impact will be total for us. This will cost us our business eventually. We have to reopen. We have to run the business that we built," said Chris Drown.

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State Senator Jim Nielsen (R-Tehama) says the challenge will only get more difficult for some people.

"As each day goes by, it's going to be harder for some of these businesses... and to the cities and counties to make a comeback," said Nielsen.

Niselsen was one of a number of bi-partisan legislators, county officials, and mayors that sent a signed letter to the governor on Monday asking him to bring Yuba, Sutter, Butte, Glenn, Tehama, and Colusa Counties out of the stay at home order.

To state their case, rural counties cited a major difference in the number of coronavirus cases. While Sacramento County has over 1,053 cases and 41 deaths, Yuba-Sutter Counties have 46 cases and 3 deaths.

At a press conference, State Public Health Officer Sonia Angell said "counties may choose to relax stricter local orders at their own pace" during Stage 2 of the governor's recovery plan.

"We'll be working very closely with our local health authorities and governments and consulting for that," said Angell.

But, the governor's reopening road map can't come soon enough for businesses like The Happy Viking, which promises to keep social distancing protocol in place once doors open again.

"You've got employees that come to us and, you know, they've got $20 to their name... they've got rent, and a lot of them are saying, 'if I can just get back to work, I'll be fine,'" said Sandee Drown.

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