Another round of stimulus checks will soon be landing in the bank accounts of millions of Americans, thanks to a new economic relief package that Congressional leaders agreed to on Sunday.

After months of gridlock in negotiations, congressional leaders recently reached a deal on a nearly $900 billion-dollar COVID-19 relief package. This package includes individual checks, loans to small businesses and benefits to the unemployed struggling with the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. Congress has not passed a comprehensive relief package since March.

Unlike March’s stimulus package, this time single people earning up to $75,000 dollars will receive $600 dollars in stimulus, while married couples earning up to $150,000 will receive $1,200 dollars – exactly half of the amount paid out earlier this year through the CARES Act.

Despite a decrease in allocated stimulus funds, Carrboro Mayor Lydia Lavelle said it will be critical for those who are able to invest this money back into the local economy.

“This stimulus money is kind of like money that falls in the lap of those of us that are doing okay,” Lavelle said. “I really urge folks to take that stimulus money – at least part of it – and filter it right back into the businesses and these nonprofits in our communities that really need it.”

Lavelle said local restaurants have been some of the hardest hit businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic – which is why the Town of Carrboro has partnered with several local agencies to create a new “Save Our Restaurants” initiative.

This initiative urges diners to take the “takeout pledge” and order food to-go at least once or twice per week.

Lavelle said local restaurants need more support than ever, especially as new state COVID mandates limit hours of operation. Earlier this month, Governor Roy Cooper moved North Carolina into a modified stay-at-home phase, forcing dining rooms to close early and moving last call for drinks up to 9 p.m.

“It’s going to be so key, especially here in the winter months when folks just have a tendency to hunker down even more than usual, it’s really going to be an important part of saving our restaurants,” Lavelle said. “That’s really the marketing. Save our restaurants. Take the pledge. Commit to takeout one to two times per week.”

According to the National Restaurant Association’s December report, 61 percent of restaurant operators in North Carolina expect their sales to decrease from current levels during the next three months. Forty-two percent say it is unlikely their restaurant will still be in business six months from now if there are no additional relief packages from the federal government.

“If this is something that we can all really try to ramp up, especially these next several weeks and couple of months through the wintertime, it might make the difference in some of our restaurants being able to be around for us in the spring,” Lavelle said.

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