2 years after initial shutdown, businesses still struggle to move beyond pandemic

By Rex Lodge

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    HAYWOOD COUNTY, North Carolina (WLOS) — Nearly two years after North Carolina initially closed bars and indoor dining due to COVID-19, cases are back on the rise in other parts of the world.

Omicron’s subvariant, named BA-2, is picking up steam. This week, China reported its worst outbreak in two years.

Health officials say BA-2 appears to be more contagious than the original omicron. North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kody Kinsley said Thursday, March 17 that so far, BA-2 seems to be 30% more contagious than the omicron variant.

Despite the concern about the new variant, many businesses in western North Carolina are anxious to move past the virus.

On Thursday, March 17, News 13 spoke with two mountain business owners ready to get back to normal, and a health official who cautions the pandemic is still ongoing.

With loosened COVID restrictions, now many businesses are looking forward to more economic recovery. Medical experts caution, however, there is still reason to be cautious.

“It was really scary when everything shut down,” said Dave Angel, owner of Elevated Mountain Distilling in Maggie Valley.

In March 2020, COVID created another use for his supply of alcohol: Making hand sanitizer.

“We worked with 1st responders. We worked with school systems. We worked with doctors’ offices,” says Angel.

As things have improved, getting back to selling spirits has come with COVID-created disruptions to the supply chain.

“We actually found alcohol selling better than it did before but we’re having supply chain issues being able to have it on the shelf and out in the markets with bottles and raw materials. Two years later that still continues,” Angel said.

“I was thinking that I was in trouble,” said Danny Mannlein, who runs Ian & JoJo’s in Waynesville. “We started doing takeout only,” Mannlein said. “202,1 people started to come out again but then the problem was you couldn’t find any help. In 2019 when we opened, we had a staff of 21 people. Now, at most, we have 7 people.”

Mannlein has supply chain problems too and increased costs he’s having to pass on to customers for the first time in 3 years.

“Honestly, I don’t see a light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.

The last two years have shed more light on the virus itself, and with that came better quality treatment of people with the virus, said Haywood County Medical Director Dr. Mark Jaben.

“Most importantly, I think we’ve learned that despite our economic, philosophical, or religious beliefs, the virus doesn’t really care about that,” Jaben said.

Jaben said vaccines have made an enormous difference, but he said there’s still much for Americans to learn.

News 13 asked Jaben whether he thought people let their guards down too quickly last summer when cases started falling.

“Whether or not we let down too early and that created the next wave — I don’t know that it created it, but it certainly opened the door for the next wave,” he responded.

We’ve seen the Omicron variant and now Jaben says enjoy the lull we’re in now but pay attention to the BA-2 mutation.

“We know that BA-2 is in the US and it’s doubling every week or so,” he said. “Be aware of what’s going around with BA-2. Get yourself vaccinated and boosted if you haven’t, and be prepared to pivot based on what we see. We have an opportunity to learn this. Will we? I don’t know.”

Jaben said in order to have an idea of what might be coming to the mountains next, WNC residents should keep an eye on Europe and the northeastern states of the U.S.

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