BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) – Erie County businesses impacted by the state's orange zone restrictions are eager for Governor Andrew Cuomo to loosen restrictions against them.
The governor is expected to loosen restrictions as part of his COVID-19 update on Wednesday after signaling his intentions Monday.
"I think we're at a new place now," Cuomo said. "We can start to adjust that valve and start to open up more economic activity and reduce some of the restrictions and reduce some of the micro-clusters, orange zones, etc."
Cuomo said he was finalizing the process in collaboration with the New York State Department of Health.
Businesses impacted by Erie County orange zones are eager for the loosening of restrictions. Some of the most notable industries impacted by the orange zone include barber shops and gyms, both of which are only allowed to operate at 25% capacity.
Alex Smith, the owner of Gary's Barber Shop in Orchard Park, said the governor loosening restrictions on them will help. However, he'd also like the governor to show confidence that the state has a strong grip on the pandemic.
"A lot of people are more scared, nervous, and a lot of people don't know we are reopened because we've been shut down twice," Smith said. "They don't know if we're going to be shut down next week or next month, especially with a new president. There's a lot of moving parts and aiming at a moving target. What I'd like to see is a sense that we have a grip on this and we're going to help the business owners because there's a lot of business owners that have been left to kind of fend for themselves."
Many of Smith's clients have shared stories all lamenting hypocrisy from elected officials and uncertainty about the future.
"We have things going up in Albany," Smith said. "They have a worse COVID percentage than we do yet there's no restrictions on bars and restaurants."
In December, the state showed contact tracing data that showed barber shops and hair salons accounted of 0.14% of the spread of COVID-19. Gyms represented 0.06% of spread in the state.
Gary's Barber Shop. January 26, 2021WBEN/Mike Baggerman
Amy Bueme, owner of Catalyst Fitness, said a coalition of gym owners proposed an occupancy increase to the governor with the goal of reaching 60% limit.
"Anything's better than 25%," Bueme said. "Just because of everything that's going on, plus January resolutions and people still having a lot of anxiety, depression, and weight gain from 2020, we need to really let more people into the fitness clubs."
Bueme said she and her employees have ensured COVID-19 safety with gym goers, which include tracking who comes in and out, plus enforcing mask policy.
While the specifics of what will be announced on Wednesday are unknown, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said it should be good news for the area.
"We deserve it," Poloncarz. "But we'll just have to wait and see."
