'We're Too Close': Stylist Starts Petition To Postpone Reopening Salons
FORT COLLINS, Colo. (CBS4) --= One of the big decisions when it comes to reopening our businesses, surrounds how to do it safely. While hair salons and barbershops got the go-ahead by Gov. Jared Polis to reopen next Monday, however not all business owners are in support.
A salon owner in Fort Collins has created a petition to keep personal services businesses closed, saying right now, it's too risky.
Dre Andrews has owned her salon in northern Colorado for 10 years. Like others, COVID-19 has caused her shop to close up. Andrews, however, had closed her doors before the official order, as two of her kids are considered high-risk of COVID-19.
"I can't put my other children at risk and I don't feel comfortable or confident that I wouldn't be putting other people at risk either," Andrews told CBS4.
This is not the first time her salon has closed. Last year, she shut down after losing her 5-month-old daughter to health complications.
"I've been so close to death after losing her and it's made me put a lot of things into perspective and what you really think is important versus what is really important," she explained.
Andrews said that and hearing of other salon workers fearful of the virus has pushed her to start this petition to extend the personal services business closure.
"This is too risky and there are too many unknown variables," she said. "We're too close in proximity and there is no way that we can perform a service without touching somebody."
Polis said personal services can open up April 27, with the use of PPE. Andrews said he doesn't know how salons will get a hold of that equipment.
"How are we going to do our part to prevent the spread and also not take away from the medical professionals who need those materials to protect our community?" she asked.
Another question she has is how salons will continue proper social distancing when each salon has multiple workstations for their employees.
"With that said, how do we practice that not gathering in groups of 10 or more," Andrews said. "I just felt the need to express what other people were afraid to express."
She's also worried about what reopening will mean for businesses like her own that will have to stay closed for safety reasons when it comes to financial assistance.
If you would like to learn more about the petition you can find it at: sign.moveon.org/petitions/against-soft-re-opening-salons-by-april-27th