Tampa Bay businesses have taken a beating since the beginning of March, according to a new report.
The Tampa Bay area endured 1,228 total business closures both temporary and permanent between March 1 and July 10, according to Yelp’s Economic Average Q2 2020 report.
Of the total number of closed businesses, 125 are permanently closed restaurants and 141 are retail businesses.
On the national level, temporary business closures decreased, while permanent closures continue increasing, now accounting for 55% of all closed businesses since March 1. Additionally, the total number of business closures dropped to just more than 132,500, since March 1.
The report found a significant correlation between an increase in consumer interest in May and an increase of coronavirus cases in June. Florida is one of the 10 states with a significant increase in consumer interest in restaurants, bars and gyms. Florida’s May interest level experienced a 104% increase and was soon followed by a 529% increase in coronavirus cases.
People’s interest in supporting the Black community by spending at Black-owned businesses does continue to remain high, according to the report. From May 25-July 10, there have been more than 2,500,000 searches for Black-owned businesses on Yelp, compared to approximately 35,000 over the same time period last year, more than 7,000% increase.
On Tuesday, Florida recorded more coronavirus deaths than any other state and set a new state record of 518 new hospitalizations, according to the Florida Department of Health. Today, the Tampa Bay area added 1,231 new coronavirus infections and 43 deaths, reported the Tampa Bay Times.
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