The Kentucky reopening you may have been waiting for. But will it be safe?
Nearly everyone probably needs or wants a professionally done haircut or trim after roughly two months with no access to salons in Kentucky.
Hairdressers, barbershops, nail salons and cosmetology businesses were allowed to reopen on Monday, but the Memorial Day holiday likely pushed back most openings until Tuesday.
The unanswered question: Will desire for grooming overwhelm any fear of being exposed to the novel coronavirus that shut the state down? Retail stores reopened last week to a lukewarm reception from consumers. Still more opened their doors on Friday.
It’s not just getting sick that is concerning. Being exposed to anyone else with the virus can mean a two-week quarantine whether or not clients or coworkers eventually test positive. That was reinforced in Missouri which opened salons May 4 and positive employees exposed dozens at a Great Clips.
On the other hand, demand for grooming may be more than the appointments available, resulting in lots of competition for limited slots.
As it has for all other businesses that have reopened so far, the state has imposed safety rules on hairdressers, salons and barbershops to prevent infection.
▪ Hair salons, barbershops and cosmetology businesses “must limit the number of clients present in any given business to 33% of the occupational capacity of the facility. Employees are excluded from this 33% maximum. … (They) must eliminate the use of any waiting areas, provide services by appointment only and communicate by phone or text when the client may enter the shop/salon. Clients may wait outside in their cars or wait to arrive until informed that their appointment is beginning. … (They) must ensure that customers are separated by at least six (6) feet from each other while receiving service unless separated by a wall or other non-porous physical barrier.”
▪ Nail salons “must limit the number of clients present in any given nail salon business to 33% of the occupational capacity of the facility. Employees are excluded from this 33% maximum. … Nail salon businesses must eliminate the use of any waiting areas, provide services by appointment only and communicate by phone or text when the client may enter the salon.”
The following businesses also were allowed to open Monday with the noted safety precautions.
▪ Massage therapy businesses “must limit the number of clients present to 33% of the occupational capacity of the facility. Employees are excluded from this 33% maximum. Massage therapy businesses should eliminate the use of any waiting areas, provide services by appointment only, and communicate when the client may enter the premises by phone or text. Massage therapy businesses must ensure clients do not congregate before or after their appointment.”
▪ Tanning salons “must limit the number of clients present in any given tanning salon business to 33% of the occupational capacity of the facility. Employees are excluded from this 33% maximum. … Tanning salon businesses must eliminate the use of any waiting areas, provide services by appointment only and communicate by phone or text when the client may enter the salon.” Also, “tattoo parlors should discontinue nasal and oral procedures.”
▪ Tattoo parlors “must limit the number of clients present in any given tanning salon business to 33% of the occupational capacity of the facility. Employees are excluded from this 33% maximum. … Tanning salon businesses must eliminate the use of any waiting areas, provide services by appointment only and communicate by phone or text when the client may enter the salon.”
Next up on the Kentucky reopening schedule:
▪ Non-emergent/non-urgent inpatient surgery and procedures may resume May 27 at a volume determined by each facility in compliance with other state rules. Those services had been held to 50% of pre-COVID shutdown volume when initially resumed.
▪ Movie theaters may reopen on June 1. “Movie theaters must limit the number of patrons present to 33% of the occupational capacity of the facility. Employees are excluded from this 33% maximum.” … Kentucky Theatre (214 East Main Street in Lexington) announced it will open June 1 with classic films. They will request that moviegoers arrive 30-40 minutes before showtime to purchase tickets.
▪ Fitness centers may reopen on June 1. “Fitness centers must limit the number of visitors present at their facility to a maximum of 33% of occupancy, not including employees. The facility or business should develop an organized scheduling system to minimize interactions between visitors and allows employees to sanitize commonly touched surfaces between visitors. Fitness centers must eliminate child services and use of child play areas.”
▪ Salato Wildlife Education Center (1 Sportsman’s Lane in Frankfort) will reopen on June 1 with limited capacity. Interactive exhibits will remain closed until further notice.
▪ Kentucky’s state courts will resume civil and criminal proceedings June 1, although much business will continue to be done using long-distance technology to limit the potential spread of the novel coronavirus, the Herald-Leader reported on May 19. Chief Justice John Minton Jr. issued a six-page order explaining how courthouses will reopen on a limited basis.
▪ Aquatic centers may reopen on June 1 for exercise purposes only. “These requirements allow aquatic centers to reopen for lap swimming, or walking, practices or exercise … General leisure and entertainment swimming pool activities are prohibited. Pools without swim lanes must remain closed. Aquatics centers must limit the number of visitors present at their facility to a maximum of 33% of occupancy, not including employees. … There should be no open swim opportunities. Swimming sessions should be scheduled by appointment over the phone or online. … Swimmers must swim one swimmer per lane and separated by at least one lap lanes from other swimmers. This may be achieved by closing some swim lanes. For example, if a pool has six lap lanes, three alternating lanes may be used at a time.”
There is no date set for recreational swimming to return. “Yes, we’d all love for a public pool to open so our kids can go there and play with other kids, but that’s the exact thing that spreads the virus,” Beshear said on May 15. He called it a “hard but difficult decision, but it’s the right decision for now.”
▪ Auto and dirt track racing may resume on June 1. “Racetracks must permit only authorized employees and essential drivers and crews on the premises. This includes, but is not limited to, racetrack employees, race teams (e.g., drivers, pit crews, and other support staff), emergency medical personnel, and necessary suppliers and vendors (e.g., gasoline suppliers). Racetracks must prohibit fans and outside media.”
▪ Bowling alleys may reopen on June 1. “Bowling alleys must limit the number of clients present … to 33% of the occupational capacity of the facility. Employees are excluded from this 33% maximum. … Bowling alleys must eliminate the use of any waiting areas, provide lane reservations by appointment only and instruct patrons to arrive at their appointed time only. … Bowling alleys must limit party size to ten (10) people or fewer. Persons not living within the same household should not be permitted bowl on the same lane or in an adjacent lane.”
▪ Fishing tournaments may resume on June 1. The state’s guidance for that has not been announced.
▪ Most resort parks, including Cumberland Falls and Natural Bridge, and all recreation parks reopen on June 1.
▪ In-home childcare providers (Type 2, Certified, and Registered Providers) may reopen on June 8. Center-based licensed childcare providers and day camps, with reduced capacity, will be allowed to open on June 15. “Since childcare programs were only required to pause their services, the Division of Regulated Childcare will operate as if all programs are reopening on the dates listed … If a program chooses to postpone opening or permanently close, the program will need to immediately contact the Division of Regulated Childcare to update their status.”
“All childcare programs will need to utilize a maximum group size of ten children per group. Registered and certified providers will still need to implement their lower maximum group sizes listed in regulations. … The same staff members should work with the same children each day in order to reduce additional exposure, including the staff members that give breaks to primary staff members.”
▪ Educational and cultural activities may restart/reopen on June 8. That includes aquariums, distilleries, libraries, limited outdoor attractions, and museums. The state’s guidance for that has not been announced.
All Lexington Public Library locations are closed until further notice. Curbside pickup of holds begins at the Eastside Branch (3000 Blake James Drive) only on June 8.
▪ Horse shows may be held again starting June 8. The state’s guidance for that has not been announced.
▪ Kentucky Horse Park (4089 Iron Works Parkway) will reopen to self-contained campers and RVs on June 11. … Park attractions, including the International Museum of the Horse and park barns, are closed until further notice. Visitors do have access to the park’s walking trail with a number of memorials/sculptures between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
▪ Some youth sports will be allowed on June 15. “Low touch, outdoor youth sports and athletic activities (e.g., track and field, biking, tennis, golf, mini-golf, horseback riding, and cross-country, and baseball/softball/teeball) may resume practices without competition. Practices should consist of ten (10) youths or fewer, with no more than one (1) adult coach per group, while following the Healthy at Work social distancing. … Low touch, indoor youth sports and athletic activities (e.g. gymnastics, swimming, diving, bowling, solo-dance/solo-ballet, tap-dance, and archery) may resume small group practices and workouts without competition. Practices and workouts should consist of ten (10) youths or fewer, with no more than one (1) adult coach per group.”
“High touch, indoor youth sports and athletic activities (e.g. karate/martial arts, basketball, cheerleading, tandem or team dance, ice hockey, volleyball, fencing, wrestling) may hold small group physical fitness workouts, exercises, and skills training of ten (10) youths or fewer, with no more than one (1) adult coach per group. … High touch, outdoor youth sports and athletic activities (e.g. football, soccer, lacrosse, flag football, field hockey) may resume small group physical fitness workouts, exercises of (10) youths or fewer, with no more than one (1) adult coach per group.”
On June 29, low touch, indoor and outdoor youth sports and athletic activities may resume competition with up to fifty (50) spectators. Also on June 29, high touch, indoor and outdoor youth sports and athletic activities may resume team/group practices without competition.
▪ Plans are for groups of up to 50 people to be allowed to gather on June 29.
▪ Plans are for bars, with limitations, to reopen on June 29.
These Kentucky businesses have already resumed
▪ Manufacturing and distribution businesses
▪ Pet grooming and boarding businesses
▪ Vehicle and boat dealerships
▪ Funeral and memorial service providers
▪ Government offices and agencies
But not all government offices have to chosen to reopen that soon. For instance, Fayette County Clerk Don Blevins Jr. said the county office that oversees vehicle registration and titles, marriage licenses and voter registration will not reopen until July 6 at the earliest.
This story was originally published May 25, 2020 at 1:01 PM with the headline "The Kentucky reopening you may have been waiting for. But will it be safe?."
