PERRY, Ga. — The City of Perry had a calendar of events planned to run May through December, until COVID-19 surged and canceled their August lineup. Some people who planned to attend those events are disappointed, and business owners say it's a blow for them, too.
"It's been a tough year with finding employees and prices going up, and these events have helped boost revenue," said Eric Schultz, owner of Schultze's and co-owner of Hazard's on the Green with Charlie Shimp.
"It's a little disappointing that they decided to pull the plug, but I understand the city has health and safety concerns that they are addressing," Schultz told us.
The cancellations were due to COVID-19. Numbers from the state department of health shows Houston County reported more than 80 positive cases a day for the past week; their highest number since January. Tabitha Clark with the city says stopping the events could help prevent the spread.
"We're doing this to combat the rising hospitalization numbers," she explained.
The events are usually held outside, but they still bring in pretty large crowds.
Clark says they'll monitor the new cases to see when those events could resume.
"What we're doing is monitoring this situation every week, so every week, we'll look at the numbers, determine what's going on, consult with our health-care officials," Clark said.
Schultz wants to remind people that when the foot traffic stops, shops and businesses will still be open.
"Be kind and go out and support small businesses," he said.
Those canceled events include Food Truck Friday on the 13th, Perry Presents, and Workout in the Park. Clark says the city is monitoring the situation and will make updates through its website and social media.