McMaster says announcement on gyms, salons coming as soon as Monday
Salons, gyms and other “close physical contact” businesses in South Carolina will soon receive guidance on when they can reopen, Gov. Henry McMaster said in a press conference Friday. The announcement could come as early as Monday.
As McMaster and other state officials continue to reopen the state’s economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic, such businesses have remain closed for more than a month now, even after McMaster lifted his “home or work” order, reopened retail stores and restaurant dinning rooms.
“On Monday, I will likely address the close, physical-contact service businesses. That includes such things as barber shops, hair salons, nail salons and gyms. Those are the close personal contact that have been discussed by accelerateSC, and we hope to have a decision made and announced as early as Monday on those,” McMaster said Friday.
Recommendations being considered by the governor regarding the re-openings are coming from Accelerate SC — a group of business, government and health care leaders who regularly offer guidelines for safely reopening the economy. Draft recommendations include having businesses use a digital check-in process and limiting the number of people waiting to be served at salons and barber shops. Staff members must wear masks, change their smocks after each customer, and wipe down a station after each use, under the draft guidelines.
At gyms, recommendations under consideration by Accelerate SC include limiting capacity to five people per 1,000 square feet or 20% of capacity, whichever is less. Also participants in group classes would each need a 10 foot radius for themselves.
Gym staff could be advised to clean their facilities every two hours and not allow equipment to be shared. Clients at gyms also would be allowed to only refill bottles at water fountains, under the draft recommendations.
A group of Republican lawmakers have been pushing for more than two weeks to re-open businesses, especially licensed beauty professionals, citing the thousands of employees who have been thrust out of work. Petitions to make beauty salons and barbershops essential businesses have received tens of thousands of signatures.
But others, including some business owners, have expressed concern about opening up too quickly given the spread of the novel coronavirus, which has infected more than 7,300 people across the state. Health officials have also warned of the dangers of re-opening the economy without adequate testing being performed. Though South Carolina has increased its level of testing from a month ago, it still isn’t on track with where state officials want to be.
McMaster spoke on some of those concerns Friday, promising quick action to those left unemployed.
“To the people who are out of work, we understand the hardships that these rules and policies require, but it’s all over the country. And not only our country, but all over the world,” he said. “And we are trying to do the best we can to see that the people of South Carolina suffer as little as possible. And that means we must get back to work, must to get back to this prosperity that has been ours, and must do so quickly, but we must do so safely.”
This story was originally published May 8, 2020 at 5:15 PM.
