Eddie McBride Talks Small Business Closure & Incoming Rapid Tests

Tuesday on KFYO Mornings with Dave King and Matt Martin, the President and CEO of the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce, Eddie McBride, joined Dave and Matt to talk about COVID-19 in Lubbock, the coming vaccines, struggling restaurants, streaming services and movie theaters, administering rapid tests, and more.

The conversation started with several topics such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, vaccines coming to Lubbock, and local businesses. McBride started by saying that it's been difficult to see very far into the future and predict what will happen in Lubbock, but that he's excited to take the vaccine when available and get back to some sort of normalcy.

When asked how many businesses have been affected or shut down by the pandemic, he explained that COVID-19 has affected a whole spectrum of things for businesses, but that there's no way to know how many have gone out of business as a result. Even of the ones who have gone out of business since March, there's no telling who would have gone out of business anyway. Despite this, they've estimated that the number could be around 200.

McBride also mentioned that it was projected that about 1/3rd of restaurants would close across America during this pandemic. He said that we're not seeing that kind of mass closure here in Lubbock, and some restaurants have thrived in a way they never have before due to shifting their business models to fit a curbside pickup and delivery plan. Overall, with many restaurants at 25 percent capacity, most small businesses will have a hard time. He encouraged all who are able to support local restaurants.

Moving to a more positive endeavor of the Chamber of Commerce, McBride discussed the group helping to supply small businesses with rapid COVID-19 tests. He explained that employees of small businesses will be able to watch a video that explains how to administer rapid tests to their coworkers, which will then allow them to obtain their certification.

Once they have their certification, the business will get in a queue to receive boxes of rapid tests form the chamber, and the previously certified employee can then administer the test to their coworkers. The test results will then be reported up to the state and community.

McBride said that there's no cost to the businesses or employees who take the test, and that the hope is just to identify infected people so that they can quarantine and help keep their fellow employees and customers safe.

Listen to the full interview with Eddie McBride in the video above.

KFYO Mornings with Dave King & Matt Martin airs weekday mornings live, from 6:00 AM to 8:30 AM on News/Talk 95.1 FM and 790 AM KFYO, online at KFYO.com, & on the free KFYO app.