WHITE PLAINS – Westchester County officials are already bracing for a pending recession or depression created by the fight against the coronavirus, County Executive George Latimer said Wednesday.

An economic downturn is inevitable as efforts to slow the spread of the virus have largely stopped regional commerce. Latimer said that while county government is conscious of the grim financial picture and economic uncertainty, that doesn’t mean the country should rush to go back to business as usual.

“If we reopen prematurely we will spread the virus further and more people will die,” he said during a briefing from his office, broadcast on social media to maximize social distancing. “If you want something that’s bad for business, death is bad for business. Mass death is bad for business.”

Latimer, a Democrat, has seen his county at the eye of the storm of the coronavirus outbreak in New York state. Part of Westchester was the first portion of New York state that saw mandated business closures and social gathering restrictions that have now taken hold and expanded statewide and throughout the U.S.

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President Donald Trump said earlier this week he wants to see businesses reopening by Easter, April 12, as the stock market deflates and economic anxiety is high while people largely work from home or don’t work at all. That reopening goal conflicts with scientific projections that say the virus, which has no cure or approved treatment, will continue to spread and could sicken tens of thousands for months without continued containment efforts.

Latimer didn’t mention Trump by name during his briefing, but called for a dose of realistic risk assessment.

“We do not do ourselves any good by telling ourselves fairy tales that somehow magical fairy dust will save us,” Latimer said. “Science will save us, practical decision making will save us, discipline and to some degree self-denial will save us.”

Federal government assistance will be needed to help states and local governments recover, he said.

Government services

Latimer held a business-themed Facebook live session earlier on Wednesday, one of a series outlining county government service during the outbreak. His \session offered guidance for businesses to seek resources to weather the next few months.

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Bridget Gibbons, county economic development director, joined Latimer for the session which outlined how businesses could help in the fight to contain the coronavirus and its resulting disease COVID-19.

The county has set up an email icanhelp@westchestergov.com for those who may be able to donate protective equipment or otherwise think they can assist the anti-coronavirus effort.

Officials, working with SUNY New Paltz, are looking to use 3D printers to make face shields for emergency workers. Gibbons said anyone who may have one to offer for use can contact Westchester.

But the county is also trying to work as a resource to tell businesses what’s available to them in this new, temporary reality.

“People are worried, people are worried not only for themselves and the survival of their business but also the employees that they may have had to lay off,” Gibbons said.

Resources

Gibbons outlined New York’s 90-day moratorium on evictions and 90-day grace period for those who have trouble paying their mortgages due to financial hardships.

Who’s hiring

Visit Westchesterputnamonestop.com

The county said USPA National Security is among those hiring during the outbreak. Pandemic response officers are needed for drive-through testing sites. Applicants need to meet requirements to be armed security officers.

Hospitals are also seeking workers in patient care, cooks and housekeeping.

For business loans

Business express loan application: communitycapitalny.org/emergency-express-loan/

Small Business Administration disaster assistance loan: sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance

Nonprofits grants: uwwp.org/coronavirus-response-grant/

Economic webinars:

To join an SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan zoom meeting on Tuesday, March 31, at 11 a.m. click here: https://zoom.us/j/674375583, and use Meeting ID: 674 375 583

For a link to an eCommerce webinar on Tuesday, March 31, at 2 p.m. send an email to economicdevelopment@westchestergov.com

Mark Lungariello covers government and politics. Follow him on Facebook @lungariello and Twitter @marklungariello. For our latest subscription offers click here.