KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Victoria Berry is excited and nervous to open Lou Rose Salon and Studio in Kansas City, Missouri, Wednesday morning.
She's excited to see her clients again — interacting with them is the best part of her job — but nervous because COVID-19 is still in the community.
The city laid out rules which allow some businesses to reopen beginning Wednesday.
The rules say businesses with limited access to the public, such as offices, barbershops and nail salons can reopen so long as there are no more than 10 people or 10 percent of the establishment’s maximum capacity (whichever number is larger) inside at once.
Berry said she will require all her staff members to wear face masks and face shields. Staff will sanitize service areas and equipment between each customer. She bought extra towels and capes to make sure staff don’t have to reuse the same items from person to person.
She’ll require customers to wait outside until their stylist is ready for them, wear face masks, wash their hands upon entry, and put their name in a registry.
“If, God forbid, something were to happen, you would be able to track down where you were, who you were around on what particular day, what particular time. I’d rather be over prepared than under prepared, or not prepared at all,” Berry said.
The mayor’s office recommends, but does not require, businesses keep a log of customers in order to track potential outbreaks.
Kelly Tran at Plaza Nails will also be keeping a registry. She said she plans to take the temperature of employees and customers before they enter the building beginning Wednesday.
She installed see-through barriers to go between nail technicians and clients. Techs will wear masks and face shields. She’s asking customers to wear face masks.
Some people criticized Mayor Quinton Lucas’ plan allowing these businesses to open today. Tran said she’d be taking the same precautions no matter the day.
“Whether we open tomorrow or in the next ten days, I pretty much think it still needs to be the same. We still need to keep ourselves safe first,” Tran explained.
Both Tran and Berry said they had many customers excited to book appointments on the first day possible, since these businesses had been closed since mid-March due to stay-at-home orders meant to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
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