[gravy boat]

From Union Leader and NHBR:


CONCORD — Requiring hairstylists and their customers to wear masks, quarantining clothes after they’re tried on and maintaining existing precautions are expected in the plan Gov. Chris Sununu will present Friday to reopen the state’s businesses in stages while extending the stay-at-home order.
Sununu reviewed guidelines for reopening a broad range of businesses, including restaurants, retail stores, state parks, golf courses, campgrounds and hair salons as he put the finishing touches on the “flex open” plan.
With the changes, Sununu is expected to extend the stay-at-home order set to expire May 4.
The Governor’s Reopening Task Force late Thursday completed more than 12 hours of drafting, discussing and adopting proposals for specific industries.
They also adopted universal guidelines for all New Hampshire employers and employees to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Businesses will be urged to let employees continue to work from home as much as practical, to screen them before they enter the workplace and to have them wear face coverings “while at work and in public.”
D.J. Bettencourt, Sununu’s policy director, said Friday’s announcement will not include a date for reopening Seacoast and state park beaches.
“This is going to be the subject of long-term discussion,” he said.
“Inevitably whatever we do, we will not make 100% of the folks in our state happy, but what we are trying to do is strike the right balance so our citizens are healthy and safe and we are getting our economy moving again,” Bettencourt said.
State Rep. Jeff Salloway, D-Lee, said the task force’s next job will be to create standards to react quickly to a resurgence of the virus.
“We are dealing with wave one of this outbreak,” Salloway said. “There is likely to be a wave two and we face the possibility next fall of a wave three. ”
Haircuts head to top
During two hours of public comment Thursday, licensed cosmetologists dominated the discussion. Most urged Sununu to go beyond the task force’s recommendation to restrict salons to haircuts and routine dying of hair roots.
Janelle Burris, who runs Janelle’s Modern Beauty Salon in Concord, said 75% of her business is custom hair and other treatments such as waxing.
“I feel like those restrictions are only going to benefit big corporate places like Supercuts. It makes me afraid small businesses like myself won’t be able to open back up,” Burris said.
But a commenter named Jenny, who runs a salon out of the bottom floor of her home, said she is worried about opening now.
“I don’t feel salons have to be part of phase one. I have tried to get sanitation materials and not had much success,” Jenny said.
Under the task force’s recommendation, waxing, nail work and tanning would not be permitted.
“It is better we start small and let’s see how it works. We felt like this was a good place to start,” said state Sen. Sharon Carson, R-Londonderry, who led the group working on that sector.
Salon seating would be limited to maintain social distancing, and both the hairstylist and the customer must wear face coverings.
Greg Stone urged Sununu to reopen as much of the economy as possible and balance public health with business health.
“You seem to say nothing is as important as saving lives,” Stone said, addressing the governor with his remarks. “I believe saving our residents and businesses’ economic lives are paramount. I believe they are entwined.
“If our economy is not open very soon, we will face economic and employment challenges the likes of which we have not seen.”
Restaurants and hotels
The guidelines call for restaurants to expand from delivery and curbside pickup in four steps.
The first phase would allow sit-down dining on existing patios, sidewalks or parking spaces close to the business where it can be done safely. Tables of up to six patrons would be permitted.
The second phase would allow inside dining of groups up to 10 people at tables at least six feet apart.
Customers in bars would be spaced at least six feet apart. Catering would be open for parties up to 50 with tables of 10.
At the time of the second phase, hotels could open to the public. Pools and exercise gyms in hotels would be closed, and no congregating would be allowed in the lobby.
The third phase would permit restaurant dining of larger groups. Hotel pools and gyms could reopen with enhanced cleaning, and groups of up to 10 would be allowed in lobbies.
The fourth phase would bring hotel and restaurant practices near to normal with enhanced cleaning and training for staff still in place.
Retail trade
Curbside and delivery of products would remain an option and would be encouraged for “vulnerable populations” reluctant to enter a store to shop.
Owners would be encouraged to set aside special hours for at-risk people to shop.
Reopened stores will have one-way aisles “if possible” and customers would stay six feet apart at the checkout.
All clothing tried on by customers would be put in quarantine for 48 hours before being returned to the sales floor.
Cashiers must wear masks, and plastic dividers would be installed between cashiers and the public where feasible.
State parks and beaches
The Flume in Franconia Notch would be fully open first for online advance ticketing only, with groups of up to six at one time.
Food and beverage sales would be limited to grab-and-go and outdoor seating.
Initially, inland beaches at state parks would be open only for campers, with day users allowed later, said Parks Director Phil Bryce.
Each beach’s capacity would be determined and enforced to ensure social distancing, he said.
State park officials are studying a second, future option at ocean beaches to allow “restricted sitting” on the sand but Bryce said it’s a work in progress.
“We are looking at specific locations or how to figure out reserve spots on the beach so umbrellas aren’t touching each other. There is a lot of details to see whether this is possible,” Bryce said.
“The Seacoast is so complex and it is such an at risk environment that we want to be careful to make sure phase one goes well before moving on.”
Campgrounds
The recommendations call for restrooms to be used by one person at a time.
Private campgrounds could open up rest rooms to wider use if social distancing were possible.
Campers could not have visitors.
Task force members persuaded Bryce to permit shower and laundry services at campgrounds as long as sanitation meets state and federal regulations.
Tent use could be at 50% of campground capacity.
Rep. Ed Butler, D-Hart’s Location, said he supported it.
“I think the issue of having a phase in which we open to a lesser extent is a reassurance for our general population that we are taking steps in the right direction but not open up quickly to everything,” Butler said.
Bryce had proposed RV sites have one open space between them, but the task force changed that to allow all RV spots to be occupied as long as campers practice social distancing.
Sen. Robert Giuda, R-Warren, lobbied for getting rid of having to space RV’s.
“I can be in an RV three feet away from another and I am still six feet away from everybody with two walls in between. The virus doesn’t go through walls,” Giuda said.
“This type of broad brush rule I find counterproductive to getting businesses and reopened and profitable again.”
Golf courses
During the first phase, tee times would be 12 minutes apart to maintain social distancing.
Golfers would bring their own equipment. Clubhouses and locker rooms would be closed except for golfers to use the restroom.
A beer cart could make sales along the course as long as the staffer wore personal protection.
The flag at each hole would be altered so hitting the stick would complete scoring and golfers wouldn’t have to reach into the cup.
In the second phase, pro shops would reopen.
A “halfway house” could open at the midpoint of the course to allow limited food and drink to be picked up, but seating or service would not be available.
The flags would be placed into the hole as normal in this phase, and tee times would be reduced to 10 minutes apart.
Golf instruction and some youth golf activity could open with social distancing.
The third phase would remove many of the restrictions, but in all phases, players would remain in their cars until 15 minutes before teeing off.
The clubhouse could open for groups of not more than 10 and tee times would be eight minutes apart.