and i also -- as i said, joaquin torres is here because we know that our small businesses in san franciscoho have already been struggling continue to struggle. we started a number of funds and a number of things to try and help support these businesses. i know it's not enough, but i want to be clear that, you know, this is not a decision that we are approaching lightly. we know that in order to protect public health, we are creating other challenges for small businesses. we're creating other challenges because we know that over 153,000 san franciscans have filed for unemployment. we don't make these decisions lightly, and this is why we want to reiterate how important it is for us to listen to the guidelines and to do our part. we need these numbers to go down. we need these numbers to go down, so we need not just people in san francisco, but the folks who are also coming from other places to san francisco, the people who are working in san francisco. folks who work for our nonprofit agencies, serving our homeless population, are coming from cities all over the bay area. people who are wor

and i also -- as i said, joaquin torres is here because we know that our small businesses in san franciscoady been struggling continue to struggle. we started a number of funds and a number of things to try and help support these businesses. i know it's not enough, but i want to be clear that, you know, this is not a decision that we are approaching lightly. we know that in order to protect public health, we are creating other challenges for small businesses. we're creating other challenges because we know that over 153,000 san franciscans have filed for unemployment. we don't make these decisions lightly, and this is why we want to reiterate how important it is for us to listen to the guidelines and to do our part. we need these numbers to go down. we need these numbers to go down, so we need not just people in san francisco, but the folks who are also coming from other places to san francisco, the people who are working in san francisco. folks who work for our nonprofit agencies, serving our homeless population, are coming from cities all over the bay area. people who are working in our

and i also -- as i said, joaquin torres is here because we know that our small businesses in san francisco have already been struggling continue to struggle. we started a number of funds and a number of things to try and help support these businesses. i know it's not enough, but i want to be clear that, you know, this is not a decision that we are approaching lightly. we know that in order to protect public health, we are creating other challenges for small businesses. we're creating other challenges because we know that over 153,000 san franciscans have filed for unemployment. we don't make these decisions lightly, and this is why we want to reiterate how important it is for us to listen to the guidelines and to do our part. we need these numbers to go down. we need these numbers to go down, so we need not just people in san francisco, but the folks who are also coming from other places to san francisco, the people who are working in san francisco. folks who work for our nonprofit agencies, serving our homeless population, are coming from cities all over the bay area. people who are worki

and i also -- as i said, joaquin torres is here because we know that our small businesses in san francisco who have already been struggling continue to struggle. we started a number of funds and a number of things to try and help support these businesses. i know it's not enough, but i want to be clear that, you know, this is not a decision that we are approaching lightly. we know that in order to protect public health, we are creating other challenges for small businesses. we're creating other challenges because we know that over 153,000 san franciscans have filed for unemployment. we don't make these decisions lightly, and this is why we want to reiterate how important it is for us to listen to the guidelines and to do our part. we need these numbers to go down. we need these numbers to go down, so we need not just people in san francisco, but the folks who are also coming from other places to san francisco, the people who are working in san francisco. folks who work for our nonprofit agencies, serving our homeless population, are coming from cities all over the bay area. people who are w

and it is my pleasure to introduce joaquin torres, the director of oewd, who will make additional comments with regard to where we stand with the pandemic and business and recovery. thank you. >> well, thank you very much for your leadership, mayor breed, and thank you very much for keeping us all safe and healthy during this time, dr. colfax. i know that so many individuals in the business community, whether the businesses or their workers are happy that we're doing so much to keep them safe and their families. we all know that these practices are what are allowing the businesses to move forward. we know that this is a very difficult time for you, for your employees, and for our city, but so much appreciate what you all have done for us to keep our city strong, lively, and our economic activity continuing. the issue for us right now around wanting to ensure that you have clarity is a commitment that our office of economic and workforce development brings. you can visit our website at oewd.org to learn more about partnerships that we are providing with the city and public health so that yo

and i also -- as i said, joaquin torres is here because we know that our small businesses in san francisco who have already been struggling continue to struggle. we started a number of funds and a number of things to try and help support these businesses. i know it's not enough, but i want to be clear that, you know, this is not a decision that we are approaching lightly. we know that in order to protect public health, we are creating other challenges for small businesses. we're creating other challenges because we know that over 153,000 san franciscans have filed for unemployment. we don't make these decisions lightly, and this is why we want to reiterate how important it is for us to listen to the guidelines and to do our part. we need these numbers to go down. we need these numbers to go down, so we need not just people in san francisco, but the folks who are also coming from other places to san francisco, the people who are working in san francisco. folks who work for our nonprofit agencies, serving our homeless population, are coming from cities all over the bay area. people who are w

joaquin torres, and if you want to look up some of the services we have, visit oewd.org. department. and even before this pandemic, i have been really laser-focused on trying to eliminate fees that make it difficult for small businesses, in particular, to be in business in san francisco in the first place. so even though this pandemic is challenging, i am so hopeful it will be an opportunity to provide some much-needed long-term relief for our businesses in san francisco. joaquin will be leading those efforts. we also have the president of the small business commission, cynthia huey, who will be moderating this discussion, and we have the director of the chamber of commerce here as well, native san franciscan rodney fong, who has been a business person pretty much his whole life. the wax museum -- i don't know about you, but i went to gallileo high school,and we used to sneak into the wax museum when i was a kid. so i owe you some ticket money, rodney. so between the wax museum, the restaurants and the hair and nail salons, the barber shops, the masseuse locations, all of

and i also -- as i said, joaquin torres is here because we know that our small businesses in san francisco who have already been struggling continue to struggle. we started a number of funds and a number of things to try and help support these businesses. i know it's not enough, but i want to be clear that, you know, this is not a decision that we are approaching lightly. we know that in order to protect public health, we are creating other challenges for small businesses. we're creating other challenges because we know that over 153,000 san franciscans have filed for unemployment. we don't make these decisions lightly, and this is why we want to reiterate how important it is for us to listen to the guidelines and to do our part. we need these numbers to go down. we need these numbers to go down, so we need not just people in san francisco, but the folks who are also coming from other places to san francisco, the people who are working in san francisco. folks who work for our nonprofit agencies, serving our homeless population, are coming from cities all over the bay area. people who are w