As COVID-19 cases spike, St. Augustine businesses see sales increases as visitors return Updated: As COVID-19 cases spike, St. Augustine businesses see sales increases as visitors return ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Many St. Augustine businesses are seeing a spike in sales after being hit hard during the pandemic. On Friday, downtown St. Augustine was packed with people enjoying a night out. But a year ago, the street was a lot quieter during the height of the pandemic. Walk down the historic St. George Street and you’ll likely see people walking, shopping and eating at restaurants. Lisa Rivera works at Ancient City Tours which like many businesses was impacted by the pandemic.