The city of La Mesa is working with local restaurants and business owners in order to reopen businesses after a recent surge in Covid-19 cases in Southern California. City officials ask more businesses to expand temporary outdoor seating.

According to ABC News , business owners will be allowed to expand outdoor seating on a temporary basis, along with:

• Using temporary barriers to designate their patio seating.
• Implementing shade coverings, tables and chairs to encourage more outdoor seating. The Downtown Business Association pledged $10,000 to help local businesses receive these supplies.
• Receiving new permits to serve alcohol outdoors (and reimburse restaurants the $100 Alcohol Beverage Control permit fee).
• Working with the Business Recovery Temporary Use Permit to help businesses flourish during the restricted guidelines.

While these efforts will provide significant improvements to local restaurant owners, there is a strong likelihood that many of these businesses will still suffer under the current lockdown regulations.

Some business owners are turning to their insurance policies to help cover the losses and also expand to creative methods to serve customers under the new rules, but many are facing struggles from those companies.

Several entrepreneurs and large companies claim insurance companies are not covering Covid-19-related losses. The insurance companies claim the pandemic is unprecedented and not covered under most policies.

As some companies and small businesses start filing lawsuits over claims, there may be a wave of other businesses that will follow suit if they see success.