By Caitlyn Scott & Madison Stokes | Staff Writers

BRIGHTON HEIGHTS — With the COVID-19 pandemic presenting local residents and businesses with unexpected challenges, many had to quickly develop new plans of action, figuring out how to maintain both personal interaction and business. This was particularly true along California Avenue in Brighton Heights.

Despite efforts to minimize the virus spreading, the first case in the United States was detected on Jan. 20, 2020, in Washington State, leading to the World Health Organization (WHO) decision to declare COVID-19 a pandemic less than two months later on March 11.

Three days later, Allegheny County would report the first positive COVID-19 infection, leading then-Governor Tom Wolf to announce the closure of all nonessential businesses five days later, causing local shops and restaurants to reevaluate new ways of marketing to the community.

John Bratton, owner of California Cycle Path located on California Avenue, said the closure of nonessential businesses due to coronavirus resulted in the end of in-person interactions. This led to utilizing online resources in order to maintain community engagement.

Check out the August edition of The Northside Chronicle for the full story.