Reeves reopens salons, gyms in Mississippi as COVID-19 cases hit new record
A record spike in COVID-19 cases and deaths did not prevent Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves on Friday from announcing that he will be opening up salons, barbershops and gyms under some restrictions.
Reeves signed a two-week extension of his Safer at Home Order that will last until 8 a.m. May 25, but he will allow those businesses to open as long as they practice social distancing guidelines and sanitation protocols.
Salons and gyms can reopen at 8 a.m. Monday, according to the order.
“We are not doing this because there is no risk in you going there,” Reeves said. “There is risk every single time you leave your home.”
“Don’t listen to the voices in your life that tell you there is no danger.”
The governor cited the fact that the U.S. has reached its highest unemployment rate since the Great Depression at 14.7% as part of his reasoning for his decision on salons and gyms.
“The human cost of another Great Depression is greater than the benefit of broad orders,” Reeves said.
Reeves is requiring that salons and barbershops follow a list of guidelines.
▪ Before reopening, the entire salon or barbershop must be deep-cleaned, disinfected, and sanitized top to bottom. After opening, salons and barbershops must be deep-cleaned daily.
▪ Hand sanitizer must be placed at all entrances.
▪ Minimize person-to-person contact through technology, like mobile or online reservations and contact-less payment, is encouraged.
▪ Salons and barbershops must post signage at each entrance stating no customer with a fever or COVID-19 symptoms are allowed in.
▪ Chairs are to be rearranged to ensure at least 6 feet between each customer and be sanitized after each use by a customer.
▪ Only one customer per employee is allowed in the salon or barbershop at any given time.
Also, employees have to be screened daily and wear face coverings and disposable gloves.
Waiting areas will remain closed in these businesses and customers must sanitize their hands when entering the business. Each customer, who must a wear a face covering unless they’re receiving a service that would impeded by covering, will also be screened upon entry.
Gyms will have to follow similar guidelines with sanitation and have to be closed by 10 p.m. each day.
No more than 30 percent of the gym’s capacity will be open to customers and gyms are encouraged to limit customers’ time to 1 hour per day.
Social distancing guidelines should be followed.
The state’s department of health announced Friday 404 new cases of COVID-19 — the largest single-day total since numbers first started being announced on March 11. There have been a total of 9,090 cases and 404 deaths reported by the state.
Reeves said that recent single-day totals that have easily surpassed previous high marks are not necessarily a sign of a significant surge in COVID-19 infections in the state.
“While we must continue to monitor total cases, what we find is that there are certain days when testing centers send out results,” he said. “If we knew that all these tests were coming in at a certain period of time, we may have a different view point.
“We do have the virus in certain communities. We are doing more testing now. As you do more testing, you expect to find more positive cases.”
This story was originally published May 8, 2020 at 2:52 PM.
