The City of Alpharetta started 2020 with every expectation of it being a banner year. Then, on a Monday in early March, the Fulton County School System discovered one of its substitute teachers had been diagnosed with COVID-19. That was the day the coronavirus changed how the year 2020 would go down in history.
Schools shut down. Headlines screamed that millions of Americans could die if drastic measures were not taken immediately. Experts said we had to “flatten the curve,” or our entire health care system would be overwhelmed.
Businesses began asking employees to work remotely. People were advised to wash their hands frequently and shelter in place to stop the spread of the deadly virus. Restaurants, hotels, and small businesses all over Alpharetta closed due to lack of customers and to protect employees.
Alpharetta’s thriving downtown grew quiet. Avalon looked deserted, and North Point Mall closed. Historically low unemployment rates gave way to the highest rate of unemployment claims ever in Georgia.
Now, after months of combating the spread of COVID-19, the efforts seem to be paying off. In May, the data finally started showing that handwashing, working from home, and social distancing measures had succeeded in steadily reducing the rate of new cases for several consecutive weeks.
As the threat of overwhelming our health care system receded, state and local governments began to cautiously relax restrictions on activities and reopen parks, facilities, and programs that had been closed to protect the public. While the virus was still a threat, the recovery began, as people, governments, and businesses started working together to chart the safest course forward in a dramatically changed environment.
The greatest challenge in facing an unprecedented threat is that there is no existing blueprint for success. Fortunately, Alpharetta and our surrounding communities were up to the task. It was not easy, but with surprising agility, governments, businesses, and individuals pulled together to assess risks, determine facts, and make thoughtful decisions. And while governments did impose restrictions, people made their own decisions about what was best for them, their families, their businesses, and their community, which resulted in Alpharetta having one of the lowest COVID-19 infection rates per capita in Fulton County.
Six months ago, no one could have predicted all the challenges we have faced. But those who are wise would never doubt that the people of Alpharetta would rise to the occasion, nor should they doubt whether those same people will successfully lead us in a safe recovery. Alpharetta is resilient, and our future is once again bright.
to your business!