2 years later: COVID’s impact on California North Coast economy
As the coronavirus pandemic entered its third year, some metrics for the health of the North Bay economy such as overall employment are nearly back to where they were before mid-March 2020.
So the Business Journal compared local counties with similar populations but different public health responses and outcomes. And we checked in with key figures in local industry to see how their businesses have endured the unprecedented threats to life and livelihood.
Sonoma and Solano counties: Different COVID approaches but similar outcomes
Sonoma has been among the California counties with the most proactive public health measures in the past two years, while Solano County has resisted measures. | by Jeff Quackenbush
How has each industry been faring?
Beyond the human toll, the pandemic, public policy responses to it and consumer reactions have had impacts on employers that vary by industry. We talked to players in several sectors, and here’s what they told us.
- Restaurants are battered, but tenacity wins | by Cheryl Sarfaty
- Wine Country tourism rebounds | by Cheryl Sarfaty
- Personal services: Spa heals as it reemerges from long shutdown | by Susan Wood
- Health care delivery is put to the test | by Cheryl Sarfaty
- Events: Tough to keep the show on the road | by Susan Wood
- Pandemic has been no fun for retailers | by Susan Wood
- Banks and wealth advisers witnessed firsthand impacts on the economy | by Susan Wood
- Adaptability and resilience help wineries survive | by Jeff Quackenbush
- Commercial real estate health mirrors boom of e-commerce, delayed office return and retail challenges in the pandemic | by Jeff Quackenbush
Voices of local business
Here are the personal stories of how North Bay leaders have steered their organizations through the past two years. What has changed? What were their worst fears, and how did they face them?
- Wes Daniels, owner, Daniel’s Chapel of the Roses & Crematory, Santa Rosa
- Susan Griffin-Black, co-founder, EO Products, San Rafael
- Jessica Gonzalez-Romero, clinical nurse manager, MarinHealth Medical Center Emergency Department
- Dr. Amy Herold, chief medical officer, Providence Queen of the Valley Medical Center, Napa
- Linsey Gallagher, president and CEO, Visit Napa Valley
- Dr. Adam Nevitt, managing partner, North Bay division of California Advanced Imaging Medical Associates
- Tim Zahner, executive director, Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau
