Establishments are closing their businesses and laying off employees in Rio de Janeiro. In the state, there are already 109 cases of coronavirus infection.
Last Friday (20), in the state of Rio in Ipanema, an award-winning ice cream shop, Vero, closed its operation. The store suffered the economic effects of the coronavirus.
Italian Andrea Panzacchi, owner of the store, closed his doors and had to lay off his 15 employees. The establishment was preparing for its ten-year anniversary in the city in December. In Rio there are already 109 confirmed cases of virus infection.
“I think there was that illusion that it wouldn’t get this far. But I have relatives in Italy and I was seeing a much more serious situation. I started to worry well before the last week and felt that it would be serious and that for the health of people, those who work with me and others, I would have to close”, said Andrea emotionally.
Andrea made a deal with her employees, some who had been with the store since its inception. And he intends to reopen the ice cream shop in the future, when the pandemic passes. He thinks that maybe the store could migrate to a cheaper place. Currently paying R$30 thousand in Visconde de Pirajá. “Maybe this is the time to reinvent yourself,” he said.
Staff laid off at restaurant
In the center of Rio, employee Carolina Silva, from the kilo restaurant Bocca Bocca, noticed a significant drop in traffic since last week.
“We served many Petrobrás employees, but as everyone was working from home, it was empty. Movement dropped a lot. On Monday (16), I arrived at 7am to work until 4pm. When it was 3:40 pm, the boss called us to a meeting and said that I and two other people would be fired. The next day, there were 12 more. All employees,” she said.
Resident of Morro do Mandela, Carolina, aged 27, is also a bar girl and usually works at events. “They were all cancelled. All my friends who hold events are also very worried. This situation is very difficult”, lamented Carolina.
