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After nearly four months of lockdown, Santa Clara County’s hair salons, spas, and gyms are opening back up for business on Monday, but not without its challenges.
Scott Knies is the Executive Director of the San Jose Downtown Association. He said the return serves as a lifeline, but it means stringent guidelines to cope with, as well.
"It’s just going to be a completely new experience, both for the businesses, as well as the customers," Knies said.
Strict, new county rules will require salons and gyms to use more protective gear and more social distancing, meaning higher costs and fewer customers.
"If you’ve got half the business available, and you’re making half the revenue, you have more expenses to comply with all these orders," Knies said. "There’s going to have to be a shift in the economic equation."
Knies agreed, safety should come first, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy.
"It’s gonna be a long shakeout," he said. "This is just the beginning."
Santa Clara moves forward as other Bay Area counties are pulling back on business reopenings.