Omaha, Neb., Aug. 11, 2020 – David G. Brown, president and CEO, Greater Omaha Chamber praised Omaha City Council for unifying around a singular message today: Wear a mask.
“Thank you, Omaha City Council for your decision to help reduce negative outcomes from COVID-19 through a mask requirement. For months now, we have joined our civic and business leaders in sharing the importance of wearing a mask to protect each other – and ourselves – during this evolving health situation. A mask mandate will help us all,” Brown said.
Brown’s response is based on supportive research, community conversations and careful analysis. Goldman Sachs, for example, recently released a study that mandatory masks, as opposed to another lockdown, could save the national economy up to five percent of the gross domestic product.
Chamber analysts applied those numbers to greater Omaha’s regional economy. The result: Wearing a cloth face covering could save $3.2 billion of economic activity in Greater Omaha (a seven-county region that comprises more than 44 percent of Nebraska’s population) along with a positive impact on public health.
“It seems simple,” Brown said. “We are adamant about the health and safety of this community. Masks reduce the spread of the virus in our community. Masks show your care and concern for those around you. Masks could save billions of dollars in uncertain times.”
About Greater Omaha
Greater Omaha is a No. 1 ranked up-and-coming-tech hotspot and Time magazine’s 2017 No. 3 Most Up-and-Coming City in America. Recognized for its “We Don’t Coast” attitude, and named America’s No. 2 Best Small City, Greater Omaha is home to more than 30 communities and nearly 1 million people, with a youthful population (more than 40 percent are age 24 or younger), low cost of living and steady economic growth that outpaces the nation. Berkshire Hathaway, Mutual of Omaha, Peter Kiewit Sons’ Inc. and Union Pacific – all Fortune 500 companies – call Greater Omaha “home.”
About the Greater Omaha Chamber
The mission of the Greater Omaha Chamber is to champion a thriving business community and a prosperous region through visionary leadership and collab