New York City is preparing for Phase 3 reopening on Monday. It will mean more access to salon-type services and outdoor areas. CBS2’s Hazel Sanchez has more on what to expect. It will be another step toward normal life. People will finally be able to get their mani-pedi when salons open up.
Late Sunday night, Grace Hahn and her mother were busy at La Jolie Nail Salon on the Upper West Side setting up single-manicure and pedicure booths to make sure customers and employees feel safe when they reopen Monday.
“We’re really excited. We’ve had a lot of customers that are really excited to be coming back. They’ve been waiting for our reopening. We’ve been setting up all the barriers and taking all precautions, so I’m pretty excited,” Hahn said.
Personal care and beauty services like spas, nail salons, tattoo parlors, and tanning salons will be back in business, but they must limit capacity to 50%, disinfect work stations for every new customer, and everyone must wear face coverings at all
Man’s best friend will finally get to run freely Monday when dog parks and runs reopen. Pet companions are encouraged to wear face masks and to maintain a safe social distance from others.
People can also get some more exercise when they open up parks to more outdoor sports activities. Basketball and tennis courts will be reopened.
Some people Sanchez spoke with said they were nervous not everyone will follow the safety precautions in Phase 3, while others were anxious to get closer to life as they knew it before the coronavirus pandemic.
When asked if she excited for them to finally get open, Astoria’s Mila Vucetovic said, “I am, actually. I am. I have to do my eyebrows, too. I look like a mess.”
“I am very nervous living across the street from a park. Very nervous,” Nick Tsikitas said. “My boys are excited because they want to shoot the ball around, but I keep telling them I’d rather have them not put up yet, to be honest. Because it’s going to bring a lot of kids, a lot of people. There’s no way you can social distance from a sport like basketball, which I love, by the way.”
Indoor dining was originally part of Phase 3, but that has been postponed indefinitely. It’s tough blow to restaurants like Empanada Mama in Hell’s Kitchen. Manager Belle Antonio said she was hoping to bring back some of the more than 100 employees the restaurant laid off.
“We feel really disappointed with that, because our servers from before were looking forward for that so that they could go back to work,” Antonio said.
