LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – Starting Monday in Kentucky, dogs can get professional haircuts once again; people will have to wait.
Meanwhile in Indiana, which is reopening its economy on a faster track despite having a higher rate of coronavirus cases than Kentucky, personal services, such as hair salons, barber shops, nail salons, spas and tattoo parlors, were free to open Monday with restrictions.
So are restaurants and bars that serve food, albeit at 50% of their normal capacity.
Here’s what changes in each state as of May 11, 2020:
Kentucky
Gov. Andy Beshear has cleared the following industries to resume operations (though much of this activity was not actually halted because businesses were deemed “essential” during the pandemic):
- Construction
- Horse racing (no in-person spectators)
- Manufacturing & distribution
- Office-based businesses (at 50% capacity)
- Pet grooming and boarding
- Photography
- Car and boat dealerships
In each case, Beshear has ordered to businesses to follow precautions.
Car dealers are supposed to limit showrooms to 25% capacity. Photographers are supposed to use the zoom capabilities on their cameras to avoid getting within six feet of their subjects.
People bringing their pets in for boarding or grooming “must remove their pet’s leash and collar and deliver their pet either curbside, in a crate or in an entry room to avoid interaction.”
But unlike in Indiana, dine-in restaurants, non-essential retail stores, daycares and hair salons are still largely closed.
More information about Kentucky’s reopening plan here.
Today is the first step in our gradual and safe approach to reopening the economy. Follow our #HealthyatWork guidelines, and visit https://t.co/1rnfJJX3qs for more information. #TogetherKy #TeamKentucky pic.twitter.com/LD5iLg6ql3
— Governor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear) May 11, 2020
Indiana
In the parlance of Gov. Eric Holcomb, Indiana started “phase two” of its reopening plan on May 4, when it allowed manufacturing and general retail to reopen.
But Monday may mark a bigger milestone for the Hoosier state, even if it’s not formally a new phase of Holcomb’s plan.
Indiana now allows the following personal services:
- Hair salons
- Barber shops
- Nail salons
- Spas
- Tattoo parlors
But these services are supposed to be “by appointment only” and adhere to precautions such as employees wearing face coverings and workstations being spaced six-feet apart.
Customers should wear masks or face coverings “to the extent possible,” according to Holcomb’s guidelines. And even with those guidelines, demand is high. Candice Frederick, who manages The Clipper barber shop in Jeffersonville, said the phone has been ringing nonstop.
“When we announced we were opening back up, the day the governor announced it, I had 40 appointments booked in less than 3 hours,” Frederick said.
Also Monday, Indiana allows in-person restaurant dining to resume.
Restaurants and bars that serve food are supposed to limit themselves to 50% capacity. Servers and kitchen staff must wear face coverings.
WDRB News stopped by several Southern Indiana restaurants Monday to check with owners to see how business was going.
"We were just iffy, wondering ‘how’s this day going to go?’ or ‘are we going to have all our customers come in?’ As the day has went on it has been an awesome day," said Laken Staser, who is a stylist at Blown Blowouts in New Albany.
Even in the middle afternoon, restaurants like Red Yeti in Jeffersonville had several tables of people but not the 50% turnout it hoped for on reopening day.
More information about Indiana’s reopening plan here.
Kentucky will not allow inside restaurant dining to resume – and only at 33% capacity – until May 22, according to Beshear’s plan.
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer has urged residents not to cross the Ohio River to go a restaurant in southern Indiana until Kentucky allows restaurant dining, saying it could frustrate efforts to halt the spread of the virus.
Louisville Metro health director Dr. Sarah Moyer, a member of Fischer’s administration, said last week that Indiana allowing restaurants to reopen now “really scares me.”
Holcomb has said his plan is responsible and subject to change based on data about infections and hospitalizations, and that each state’s approach will inevitably differ.
Reporters Kristen Shanahan, Darby Beane and Joel Schipper also contributed to this report.
