Fresno business owners fear curfew could end their livelihood

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Tables sit under the new tents outside the entrance of Vyxn in Northeast Fresno.

Owner Lewis Everik and his employees started setting up outside Thursday to revert back to 'purple tier' restrictions.

Those efforts, however, came to a halt a couple of hours later after state officials announced a statewide curfew aimed to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

"The announcement caught us by surprise. Hearing news of a curfew is very disheartening," Everik says.

RELATED: Gov. Newsom orders curfew for most California counties

California Health Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly says the curfew goes into effect from 10 pm and lasts until 5 am starting Saturday.

That means all non-essential work and gatherings will have to stop in 'purple tier' counties.

Ghaly says the goal is to stop the surge as the number of cases and hospitalizations has shot up in the past two weeks.

Since the announcement, however, many shared their frustrations with the limited stay-at-home order.

Fresno County supervisor Nathan Magsig says he's not sure how a curfew will help curb the rising number of cases.

"I think the county is going to be relying on voluntary compliance," Magsig says.

Assemblymember Jim Patterson commented on the curfew, calling it a 'meaningless gesture'.

Other lawmakers don't believe a lot of people will abide by the curfew.

Everik says he's already feeling that impact, and this setback could cause many business owners like him to close their doors for good.

"The people who have the least to lose have the most to say. It's not about, 'Will we be able to buy Christmas presents?', it's 'will we be able to keep the lights on?'"

He's now worried about how much longer he'll last as the curfew is expected to remain in place until December 21st.