How will the reopening plan affect Orlando businesses?

ORLANDO, Fla. — President Donald Trump has announced a three-phase plan to reopen the country amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said he will use that as a baseline.

During phase one of the plan restaurants, movie theaters and large sporting venues could reopen if the state shows a downward trajectory of documented cases within a 14-day period.

In phase two school activities, camps and nonessential travel could resume, and bars could begin operating without standing room occupancy.

Read the president’s complete plan here

But what could this plan mean for Central Florida businesses?

Roger Wall owns Embassy Irish Bar. He opened it a year ago.

“What we’ve just experienced with the closedown, with the closure, it had to happen,” Wall said. “This is about people and not money. However, the side effect is that I may not be in business in the very near future. I don’t know just yet.”

Read: Orange County leaders blast downtown Orlando rally calling to reopen Florida: ‘It’s a circus’

Wall doesn’t have the license to sell alcohol during the shutdown. With so much uncertainty surrounding reopening, he wants to know what’s next.

“I don't want my customers coming in here getting sick all for me to stay alive and make money,” Wall said. “That’s not the way it should work.”

Wall said though business has not been great, he’s not sure how much longer he will survive.

“The longer we stay closed, the better chance we have of this never coming back. But in the meantime, we starve.”

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