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OBSERVATIONS
April 3, 2020 |
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 Wingate Lassiter |
Dare we speculate about businesses
that may not survive the shutdown?
Our restaurants, especially our locally owned and operated establishments, have been in the forefront of the news about businesses scrambling to stay alive as folks are restricted in their movements because of the coronavirus pandemic.
But at least most of them are open --- just not able to host their usual dine-in customers because of statewide restrictions.
Perhaps not so evident at this point is what's to become of numerous retailers not deemed "essential" who have closed their doors under order from the Governor to slow down the spread of the virus COVID-19.
It's eerie to drive by the Outlet Center and see those empty parking lots as if it's Christmas Day. Wonder how many of those stores will re-open once the crisis has passed. The same question applies to retail centers everywhere.
Americans have been turning away from in-store shopping in favor of ordering from home for some time now. I expect we'll see even more of that in months and years ahead, further reducing the demand for local stores as we've known them.
Other than grocery stores and pharmacies, will exempt-from-closing "big box" stores like Wal-Mart and Lowe's be all we'll have left on the local retail front once business is allowed to return to normal?
Smithfield's Belk clothing store and most of its retail neighbors on North Bright Leaf Boulevard have been closed to on-site customers for a couple of weeks.
Leading causes of death in the U.S.A. as reported
by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
I found these numbers online after reading projections that the coronavirus pandemic could cause an estimated 240,000 deaths across the nation before the year is done. These figures come from the CDC's 2017 report about our nation:
- Heart disease: 647,457
- Cancer: 599,108
- Accidents (unintentional injuries): 169,936
- Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 160,201
- Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 146,383
- Alzheimer’s disease: 121,404
- Diabetes: 83,564
- Influenza and Pneumonia: 55,672
- Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis: 50,633
- Intentional self-harm (suicide): 47,173
Source: Deaths: Final Data for
2017, table B [PDF – 2 MB]
2020
U.S. Census: Have you been counted yet?
April 1 was the day we were supposed to count ourselves
for the 2020 Census. Have you completed and returned your
questionnaire yet?
No matter. April 1 wasn't the deadline --- just the
reporting date. You've still got plenty of time to
register yourself and everyone else in your household.
Here's a link to a U.S. Census website
page that'll help you get started>
By the way, Johnston County's estimated population for
2019, according to the Census Bureau, was 209,339.
The latest official estimate for Smithfield, from 2018,
was 12,669.
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