In a virtual press call yesterday, small businesses from across the country shared what they need to have in place to even think about the next phase of reopening. From a public health plan that includes adequate testing, to industry specific safety standards, to the child care and paid leave infrastructure to support their employees, small businesses are being forced to consider reopening sooner than is safe because their government leaders have quit the fight.

The job of Main Street now is to adapt, but small businesses can’t go it alone. They need government to do the job of fighting the pandemic while sheltering Main Street and protecting businesses in our hardest-hit communities.

Though many governors and local officials have acted to slow transmission, our elected leaders -- starting at the federal level -- have not established an infrastructure for pandemic resilience. Our abysmal testing levels are just one example.

"Many of these plans are being laid out under the false choice of rescuing the economy and saving peoples lives," said Amanda Ballantyne, Executive Director of the Main Street Alliance during the call.

To phase in operations, we need a fully-funded and coordinated strategy guided by evidence-based thresholds at all levels of government. Businesses should not be asked to put ourselves, our workers and customers at risk until these common sense measures are met.

See the full set of Main Street's Recommendations for Pandemic Resilience.