More businesses – including salons, barber shops and gyms – will be allowed to reopen, said Gov. Tate Reeves at a Friday afternoon press conference.
“We cannot shut everything down until there is no longer a health risk,” he said.
Reeves is extending his “safer at home” order for two additional weeks, but salons, barber shops and gyms may begin reopening with restrictions at 8 a.m. Monday.
Operators of salons and barber shops must first perform a thorough cleaning and sanitizing of facilities. Additionally, facilities must be thoroughly cleaned on a daily basis.
Hand sanitizer must be placed at all entrances, and minimal person-to-person contact through technology – including mobile or online reservations and contactless forms of payment – is encouraged.
Facilities must post signage at each entrance stating that no customer with fever or other COVID-19 symptoms will be allowed access. Chairs are to be rearranged to ensure at least 6 feet of distance between each customer. Chairs must be sanitized after each use.
Only one customer per employee is allowed in the facility at any given time. Employees must be screened daily at the beginning of their shifts, and face coverings must be provided to all employees who come in direct contact with customers. Employees must wear disposable gloves and change them between customers as well as wash their hands between every customer. Employees must also be provided with training on how to limit the spread of the virus.
Waiting areas are to remain closed, and customers must wait in their vehicles until their appointment time. Customers must sanitize their hands when entering and exiting, and they must be screened upon entry for any symptoms of the virus. Customers must wear a mask while inside unless receiving a service that would be impeded by the covering.
Each customer must be draped with a clean cape, which should be laundered after each use, and a protective neck strip should also be placed around the neck of each customer getting a haircut.
Gyms must conduct a deep clean of their facilities prior to opening and at the end of each business day. Gyms are to close to the public by 10 p.m. each day, and there must be at least one employee on-site during hours of operation dedicated to wiping down equipment after each use. High-touch areas must be sanitized at least once every two hours, and exercise machines and equipment must be rearranged or deactivated to ensure at least 6 feet of space between customers.
Gyms must also post signage stating that customers with COVID-19 symptoms will not be allowed access. Gyms must provide hand sanitizer and close their common areas.
Employees must be screened and must wear face coverings and disposable gloves. Gloves are to be changed at least once an hour.
Gyms are restricted to no more than 30 percent of the facility’s maximum capacity, and gyms are encouraged to limit customer time to a max of one hour per day. Classes or group exercises are allowed with customers maintaining a minimum of a 6-foot distance.
Customers must sanitize their hands when entering and exiting the gym and when they move between equipment.
