SAN DIEGO — As the entire country and world struggles to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, local leaders say - when it comes to San Diego businesses - the impacts are being especially felt in one community.
Jason Paguio, President and CEO of the Asian Business Association says he has seen many places lay off 100 or more employees.
Over the last few weeks his team has seen nearly four times the people looking for help. He says most services have been directed to helping people obtain emergency funding for their businesses.
Paguio says because of the stigma against Asian cultures, the impacts of the virus started weeks before it hit other communities. He went on to say, “On top of everything else, unfortunately, we are dealing with it at an advanced stage and it is leaving a lot of us far behind.
That means many businesses began laying off employees long before it became city wide and many - especially in the food industry have closed and possibly shut down for good.