Major General Juan Ayala says about SA’s economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic

SAN ANTONIO – As coronavirus cases continue to reach daily rates in San Antonio and Bexar County, the pandemic continues to have an impact on the local economy.

Maj. Gen. Juan Ayala, acting president and CEO of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, joined Leading SA on Sunday to discuss the current economic state of San Antonio and the future of economic stability during this public health crisis.

“The San Antonio economy suffered a major blow due to COVID-19, and right now, there are many companies that are struggling, even though APP and government loans have helped. However, they are trying to boost our small businesses. We have around 1,300 small companies in the Spanish Chamber of San Antonio and they are trying to pivot and be creative, “said Ayala.

Tourism, entertainment and small businesses in San Antonio have been devastated by the pandemic, and Ayala said at the moment that it is more important than ever to drive its business model, as the future of the virus is uncertain.

“Our small business owners have been very resilient and contributed and made some improvements and some changes, which has really helped,” said Ayala. “… I was very surprised by how creative and what our companies have been doing to stay in business.”

Even if a COVID-19 vaccine is officially available to the public soon, the impact the pandemic has had overall on companies in the area doesn’t just go away, according to Ayala.

“Even if we flip the switch today and said that everything is fine and everyone can come back, we don’t know if consumer confidence and public confidence are reaching our businesses. I mean, I think a large percentage of our population is still afraid to congregate in areas because of the virus, “said Ayala.

Another stimulus package is expected in August, giving a new round of $ 1,200 stimulus checks to residents, according to an Associated Press report. However, Ayala said that this is only a temporary solution.

“I think it is very interesting to see what the next stimulus package will be like. That will keep some of them in business. But again, those are band-aids … but we have to maintain trust. I mean, we have to stay positive, “said Ayala.

Beyond everything, the general knows that it will be difficult for the economy of San Antonio in general, but said that in the future, there is hope that we will overcome this pandemic.

“We are going to get through this. We will have confidence and we will overcome this. We are simply never going to look the same. We are not going to look the same at the other end, ”said Ayala.

Mnuchin: virus aid package coming soon, $ 1,200 checks for August

COVID-19 hospitalizations decrease in San Antonio, Bexar County

Researchers say there are six different ‘types’ of COVID-19