Business owner reacts as House passes new coronavirus package

Name: Valley restaurant owner reacts as U.S. House passes another coronavirus relief package
Uploaded: 2020-04-23T21:44:53-07:00
Description: The owner applied for the Paycheck Protection program when it first rolled out, but it reached its limit.

Valley restaurant owner reacts as U.S. House passes another coronavirus relief package

The owner applied for the Paycheck Protection program when it first rolled out, but it reached its limit.

PHOENIX - Relief is on the way for small businesses and hospitals across the country, with members of the House of Representatives approving a coronavirus package worth nearly $500 billion.

The measure passed almost unanimously, and anchoring the bill is Trump administration’s $250 billion funding request to replenish a fund to help small- and medium-sized businesses with payroll, rent and other expenses.

The payroll program provides forgivable loans so businesses can continue paying workers while forced to stay closed for social distancing and stay-at-home orders.

Valley business owner reacts

On Thursday, FOX 10's Justin Lum spoke with the owners of Cheba Hut, a restaurant that has seven locations in Arizona.

"We’re probably down, I would say, 50% across the board in every single one of our stores," said co-owner DK Lenz. "Some a little bit more, maybe some a little bit less, but it’s been a huge impact."

Lenz applied for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) when it first started, but it has since reached its limit. There was no money left to help thousands of business owners like Lenz.

"We got another email saying that 'hey, you’re in the queue but we don’t really know what that means. Our banker specifically has many of those details,'" said Lenz.

Now there is some relief that an economic infusion could come, but Lenz says his team will try to temper expectations.

"I hope that we are able to get some of that," said Lenz. "We really wanna put some people back to work and put money in people's pockets, and we have every intention of using all that money for payroll," said Lenz.

Lenz says he hasn't faced a financial crisis like this in his entire career

"I can’t even think of anything to even equate it to. It’s like nothing that anybody’s ever seen before," said Lenz.

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Additional resources

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Coronavirus (COVID-19) - How it spreads, symptoms, prevention, treatment, FAQ

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus

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Arizona COVID-19 Response - Public resources, FAQ, webinars

https://www.azdhs.gov/coronavirus

https://www.azdhs.gov/preparedness/epidemiology-disease-control/infectious-disease-epidemiology/es/covid-19/index.php#novel-coronavirus-home (In Spanish/En Español)

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Stay home when you are sick.

Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.

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