As of Wednesday, March 25, O’Brien said not one dealership employee has called in to say they’ve tested positive for the virus. The exposed employee has continued to be symptom-free, and his sister brought home her son, Zacchaeus, safely from the hospital.
“I’m very optimistic. People are getting over the shock and hysteria,” O’Brien said.
Though the store had slated its reopening for April 1, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued a stay-at-home order effective at 12:01 a.m. March 24 through April 13, prohibiting people from leaving their homes for work “except to the extent that those workers are necessary to sustain or protect life or to conduct minimum basic operations.”
Auto sales are prohibited until then, though repair and maintenance operations can continue following the guidelines in the order.
Employees will have three choices after April 1, O’Brien said: They can file for unemployment, dip into their personal time off or apply for the soon-to-be revised federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act.
For now, five designated salespeople are fielding leads sent through the Internet sales department, keeping customers interested until the store can once again sell and deliver vehicles.
No matter what happens, though, O’Brien said technicians will continue to service customers, prioritizing city vehicles such as police cars and ambulances.
“Our hands are tied,” he said. “We’re not in business. But we’re not going to stop getting those vehicles back to their municipalities.”
