Staff shortages caused by widespread COVID-19 cases are just another blow to small businesses.
That’s according to Patrick Sullivan, the President and CEO of the Halifax Chamber of Commerce.
Sullivan said many businesses are having to reduce their hours because they simply don’t have the staff to be open.
“There are certainly businesses that are shutting down for some days a week or closing early because of staff shortages.”
He said that has been the case for two or three weeks already.
Sullivan said they’re making the best of it during January, a typically slow time of year.
“They don’t have as many people in, so they don’t have to have as many staff,” he said. “So that’s certainly helping.”
Sullivan said he’s hopeful that new exposure and isolation rules will help to ease the staffing crunch.
He said, regardless, many small businesses are still relying on government support to stay afloat.
