No more walk-in haircuts, trying on clothes gets complex. How life will change when stores reopen
Miami-Dade County will be opening some of its business on Monday after more than a month of countywide closures due to the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic.
But this doesn’t mean residents can go buy some new clothes or get a quick haircut like they used to. No more walk-in haircuts. Stores may let customers try on clothes, but it’s complicated: under new county rules, the garments must be set aside for 24 hours before they can be placed back on the shelf. New safety changes have changed the way some daily errands will have to be done.
County Mayor Carlos Gimenez tweeted Friday he signed the emergency order that will allow some businesses to open. The order will go into effect Monday at midnight.
Reopening rules in Miami-Dade: Wear masks, and test all employees if one gets COVID-19
Miami-Dade is using colored flags to track which businesses will be allowed to reopen in a “New Normal” plan structured by the county. The county is currently in “Phase Orange,” which means parks, open spaces and some stores could reopen.
On Monday, the county will be moving to “Phase Yellow,” which allows many businesses to reopen their doors. The goal is to eventually get to “Phase Blue,” which means all business can reopen.
The only businesses restricted from opening on Monday are massage businesses, tattoo parlors, pools and hot tubs, hotels and lodging, movie theaters, concert halls, gyms, bowling alleys, arcades, bars, nightclubs and more that can be found here.
No matter what reopens, strict rules have been put in place that fundamentally change how some businesses will operate. Here are the rules you will have to follow for open business on Monday, according to the county’s “New Normal” plan:
Retail Stores (including small businesses):
▪ Store and mall capacity will be limited to a maximum of 50 percent of the location’s occupancy, which includes staff and customers.
▪ Only four people will be allowed to ride on an elevator and there will be visual queues on where to stand. It will be encouraged to take the stairs to offer preferential elevator treatment to those that need it,
▪ Merchandise, particular clothing, cannot be handled or tried on by customers and returned to the rack. Every item removed will have to be cleaned or put in isolation. If not sanitized, the merchandise — including clothing — must be set aside for 24 hours.
▪ There will be no car valet services at any retail establishments or cultural institutions, according to the detailed rulebook that accompanied the Gimenez order. That may not be a blanket ban, though, as the document includes an overall guideline to businesses to “discourage” valet parking. In public comments, Gimenez has said valet parking would be allowed only if customers had not other parking options.
▪ The guidelines encouraged curbside accommodations for store pickup. Not much detail was given on what that could look like.
▪ There guidelines also encouraged time slots during in stores hours that will be exclusively for groups such as the elderly, the disabled and those who are pregnant, much like how some grocery stores have allotted one hour for the such groups.
▪ Some aisles and lanes in stores will have one-way foot traffic.
Grooming Stores (barber shops, hair salons, etc.):
▪ Customers must wear face masks, which can be removed for a short time when necessary.
▪ Disinfectant spray should be given when coming and leaving stores.
▪ Only those receiving a haircut or other salon service can be in the store. If not actively getting a haircut or in the process of getting a service, the customer must wait outside, except for a parent or guardian with a minor.
▪ Only 10 people or 25% of the grooming store’s occupancy can be inside. This includes workers and customers.
▪ Services are required to be appointment only. Customers have to wait outside or in their car until their appointment is called. Walk-ins are prohibited.
Office Space and Shopping Centers:
▪ All visitors and tenants must sanitize their hands when they enter the building.
▪ Medical offices will have separate entrances for those with medical issues.
▪ Offices with cubicles or open space designs will have to restructure in order to maintain a minimum of six feet of social distance or install barriers like plexiglass.
▪ While in a building, all occupants must wear a face covering.
This article was updated to clarify pending Miami-Dade rules on when customers can try on clothes in stores.
