Some U.S. States Reopen amid Criticism; Businesses are Reopening but Are They Safe?
ALLEN: Welcome back to our viewers here in the U.S. and around the world. I'm Natalie Allen. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. As the coronavirus death toll in the United States nears 52,000, many places are looking to hang the open for business signs. Some states already have despite health experts warning opening too soon could bring on the dreaded second wave of infections. So the overarching question is, is it really safe to reopen? CNN's Brian Todd reports now.</s>SHANNON STAFFORD, HAIR SALON OWNER: No mask, no entry.</s>BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Shannon Stafford wrestled with the decision to reopen her hair salon in Savannah, Georgia. She says she will take the temperature of clients as they enter, make sure they wear face masks. But as for social distancing --</s>STAFFORD: That is not going to be possible, not with the client and a stylist. You can try to distance between the next two people throughout the salon but it's going to be difficult because we are so hands on.</s>TODD (voice-over): Keira Johnson owns a restaurant in Valdosta, Georgia, named Steel Magnolias, despite the declaration from Georgia's governor that restaurants can reopen with social distancing measures in place. Johnson refuses to open.</s>KEIRA JOHNSON, RESTAURANT OWNER: I have a 19 month old son, one of my managers has three little girls. Most of my chefs have children and we all have to know what we're going home to at the end of the night is safe. That we are keeping it safe for them at this point.</s>TODD (voice-over): Georgia Governor Brian Kemp's decision to allow hair and nail salons, gyms, restaurants and theaters to reopen is drawing enormous criticism from President Trump to mayors and other officials in the state to public health experts who have an ominous warning tonight.</s>DR. MARK RUPP, INFECTION CONTROL CHIEF, UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER: So I think undoubtedly there will be additional infections as we try to open up businesses. So this virus has not miraculously just gone away, it's still there. It's still looking for ways to exploit frailties (ph).</s>TODD (voice-over): Next week, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee is allowing restaurants and retailers to open at 50 percent capacity. One expert says that may not go far enough and explains how coronavirus can spread in a restaurant setting.</s>GAVIN MACGREGOR-SKINNER, DIRECTOR TRAINING, GLOBAL BIORISK ADVISORY COUNCIL: This virus spreads through droplets as well as direct contact. So anyone who's touched anything I know, fork, spoon, plate, cup, glass, we have to treat it as hot with real virus (ph).</s>TODD: In one study, person A1 here marked in yellow had lunch in a restaurant in China on January 24 and then soon felt sick. Nine others marked in red seated nearby were diagnosed within the following 12 days. In gyms now reopening in parts of Georgia, experts say the risks could be even higher, even for people in pre-symptomatic stages. If they're working out too close to others.</s>RUPP: If one of those persons goes to a gym and works out vigorously and is breathing hard, exerting themselves, that seems to me to be kind of a recipe for spreading that virus in that pre-symptomatic stage.</s>TODD: So is it impossible for any salons, stores and restaurants reopening to operate safely right now? One expert says, not impossible, but those businesses have to quickly train their employees.</s>MACGREGOR-SKINNER: The business employees are going to require the training but also the necessary equipment to protect their eyes, nose and mouth. It could be glasses, it could be another face covering, it could be just better use of disinfectant or hand sanitizer or soap and water. But we can do it, but it's going to be done slowly.</s>TODD: Despite the encouragement of some governors to reopen, many businesses and states that are doing that have told CNN that they are not going to reopen right away. For some, they say the cost of reopening, with all of the safety measures they have to take, are too burdensome. But for many, the overall risks are just too great. One theater owner told "The New York Times," "Hell, no," when he was asked if he would reopen. He said, if he did that and another outbreak is traced to his theater, quote, "You know what that would do to my business? "I wouldn't have one." -- Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.</s>ALLEN: We just heard from Shannon Stafford in Brian's report. She's one of the business owners who has reopened her hair salon.</s>ALLEN: She joins me now live from Savannah, Georgia. Shannon, it's good to see you. Thank you for getting up and coming on with us.</s>STAFFORD: Hi, good morning.</s>ALLEN: Good morning to you. Well, you opened your business yesterday. How did it feel? How did it go?</s>STAFFORD: Actually, it went pretty well. I decided to only take one customer. I wanted to test out everything that I had put in plan as far as everything that I needed to put into making sure everything was safe. As far as my protocols, I wanted to see if it was anything that I needed to add or if it was anything that I needed to remove just to make sure that myself and the client and stylists were going to be in the safest environment possible.</s>ALLEN: Right, because I was reading that you are doing everything that you can think of, you're taking your clients' temperature, as I understand it, as they come in, asking them questions, even sign a liability waiver, right?</s>STAFFORD: Yes, that's correct. We are taking temperatures. We have a questionnaire for the client to fill out, along with an assumption of risk and a waiver of liability for them to read over. That's going to be something important not only for my salon but a lot of salons all over and other businesses as well, who is planning on opening.</s>ALLEN: Well, I know that you received calls from people in the area around Savannah, asking you not to open. There is a lot of fear out there as our previous report just pointed out. How did you come to the decision that you would reopen?</s>STAFFORD: Well, one of the things that I looked at, I felt whether I waited two weeks or I waited a month, my risk is still going to be the same. The things that I'm going to have to implement to make sure the safety of myself and clients are going to be the same whether I wait two weeks or a month or six months. It is really going to be no difference. You're still going to have to take the same precautions that I'm taking today for those businesses that's going to remain closed because the reality of it is we are all going to have to get back to work. A lot of us are working now. And unfortunately for business owners, we're not in a position where we can close down for months at a time or even up to a year and sustain. So we're going to have to put things in order, whether it's today or whether it's another month from now. You're still going to have to implement those things. So that was one of the reasons I decided I wanted to reopen. But I wanted to take baby steps in making sure everything was in order.</s>ALLEN: You did have a customer. Were you nervous? You are in the business of cutting and styling hair, as you just pointed out. That is something you do very close to your client.</s>STAFFORD: Yes. It was a bit of nervousness when she entered into the salon. I think the things that I am implementing not only made myself feel safer but, at all costs, I needed her to feel safe. I was asking her to give me feedback on how she felt about everything that we put in place. And I think I'm doing pretty good with, you know, even when it comes to shampooing, laying her back, having her to remain with the mask, also implementing putting a towel over her eyes, nose and mouth. I'm trying to make sure everything is covered, changing out garments, hand washing, sanitizing the station, making sure even my implements are sanitized as well.</s>ALLEN: It sounds like you are trying to think of everything you can possibly do to stay safe and be sure that your clients stay safe. Do you anticipate business picking up? Are clients showing interest in coming in?</s>STAFFORD: Yes. Clients have been calling to schedule appointments. But I've been very adamant about only taking maybe three clients a day right now. I don't really want to go into it full force.</s>ALLEN: Right. Understood. What about your employees? Do you have other stylists? Are they coming back to work?</s>STAFFORD: Yes. They have decided to start this week off, this Monday. I decided by me coming in a couple of days before them, that would be another thing that was vital for me as a salon owner, making sure everything I put in place as far as these protocols will be the best thing for all of us.</s>STAFFORD: So yesterday me taking only one client. Today I will take about three just to test out what the rotation process. So that's what I've been doing for the past two days.</s>ALLEN: Well, Shannon, we know this is probably a nerve-wracking time. But you're going for it. Wish you the best and a lot of safety and hope it goes all right.</s>STAFFORD: Thank you.</s>ALLEN: All the best to you. All right. Next here, imagine you're a little boy named Corona. Yes, just like the virus. And yes, the kids in school can be tough with their teasing. But don't worry. We have a Hollywood happy ending to this one right after this.