XIARHOS CALLS FOR SUPPORT OF RESTAURANTS AND RESTAURANT WORKERS DURING COVID-19 OUTBREAK

April 1, 2020

BARNSTABLE – Steven Xiarhos, candidate for State Representative in the 5th Barnstable District, announced today that he supports legislation (SD2888) to assist restaurants whose businesses have been interrupted by the COVID-19 outbreak.

“Restaurants are important small businesses which not only employ large numbers of workers but also add valuable character to our community,” said Xiarhos. “The COVID-19 outbreak has had a devastating effect on their business operations. We need to take steps to support these and other small businesses and their employees so they can get back up and running once current conditions clear.”

The owners of many restaurants carry insurance to protect their operations against loss of business due to fires and other calamities. However, most of these policies fail or refuse to provide coverage for loss of business due to a virus or where there is no physical property damage to a restaurant’s facilities. For many restaurants forced to close their doors or reduce their operations to takeout-only because of the COVID-19 outbreak, this can present a huge an unanticipated loss. Senate Docket 2888, filed by Senator James B. Eldridge (Middlesex and Worcester district), would require insurance companies to cover loss of business for qualifying restaurants due to COVID-19 so long as Governor Baker’s emergency declaration (issued on March 10) remains in effect. Its provisions would apply to restaurants with fewer than 150 employees.

“These are difficult times, and it’s appropriate for our government to take certain steps to protect not only our public health but also our economy from the effects of COVID-19,” said Xiarhos. “Our restaurants and the employees who work in them are an important business component that has been overlooked by many relief efforts, and it is critical that we include support for them in our response to this pandemic.”

About Steven Xiarhos

Steven Xiarhos is a resident of Barnstable and a Republican candidate for state representative in the Fifth Barnstable District (Sandwich, Barnstable Pcts. 11 & 12, Bourne Pcts. 1, 2 & 7, and Plymouth Pct. 9).

Steve spent forty years serving the people of Cape Cod as a member of the Yarmouth Police Department, retiring in late 2019 from the position of Deputy Chief of Police. Throughout his career, Steve attended numerous specialized training courses and is a graduate of the Babson College Command Training Course and the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar. He is the recipient of 22 various police department awards and decorations including Officer of the Year,  Yarmouth Area Chamber of Commerce Person of the Year,  Rotary Club of Yarmouth Vocational Service Award, Mothers Against Drunk Driving Officer of the Year, and the Barnstable County Human Rights Commission Rosenthal Award.

Steve also remains active in many charitable and civic causes. This includes, but is not limited to, the Nicholas G. Xiarhos Memorial Fund (which was created in memory of Steve’s son, Nick, who was a Marine killed in combat in Afghanistan in 2009). Currently, Steve serves on the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Iraq and Afghanistan Fallen Heroes Memorial Fund and the Massachusetts Military Support Foundation; as well as a Volunteer for Wounded Warrior Project Cape Cod Soldier Ride.

For more information on Steve’s campaign for state representative, please visit www.XiarhosForRep.com.

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