Since the outbreak or the coronavirus in the US, Americans have been ordered or advised to stay at home to stop the spread of the virus. Many businesses and services have been forced to shut down. Only essentials such as grocery stores are allowed to stay open with the number people allowed in strictly limited. As the rate of hospitalization slowly declines, it opens the question of whether it is safe to reopen businesses and resume daily activities while still maintaining social distancing. Some states such as Alabama, Florida, and Texas have lifted their stay-at-home order while other states such as Michigan, Delaware, and Illinois have extended their stay-at-home order.

I personally believe that it should be okay for small businesses to start reopening at this time. The cases of coronavirus are slowly declining, so we should take actions to try to restore our country back to normal. The longer businesses remain closed, the more the economy suffers. I believe businesses should be allowed to reopen at their own discretion.

People should be allowed to choose whether to go out or not. If they feel safe, they should be allowed to leave their house, and likewise, if they do not want to take a risk, they can choose to remain at home. It is unfair to take away the freedom of people to decide how to live their lives. As long as people continue to social distance and businesses maintain proper hygiene, I believe we can slowly but surely return to our normal daily activities.

I interviewed some of the people in my grade and many of them agreed with my point of view. Micheal Desnoyers said, “I think that the big box companies that make billions a year can give their workers paid leave and be just fine, but the small businesses are a different story. I personally think that they should open with caution. They still need to encourage social distancing, and should try to keep it to a small number of customers at a time.”

Rafi Escoto pointed out the positives of small businesses reopening by saying, “Small businesses are what keep the local and municipal economies flowing, in a way that superstores and department stores can not do. Not only are these small businesses good for economic growth, but they are also substantially great for employment growth.”

On the other hand, others disagreed or were still uncertain about the repercussions of starting to reopen. Many voiced concerns that with the virus still present, it would only make the situation worse.

Katherine McCabe stated, “I think the businesses should remain closed instead of reopening. Remaining closed would be a much safer option to ensure that the virus doesn’t spread anymore. There is no reason to push our luck by opening businesses that allow the virus to spread.”

Kendal Cosby agreed, saying, “I think they should stay closed unless they are absolutely essential. I also think that the business should open only if it is completely safe and/or they are following precautions.”