CLEVELAND — There is still a long list of Ohio business sectors that are waiting for an opening date and COVID-19 guidelines from Gov. Mike DeWine.
Fitness centers, tattoo salons, day care centers and movie theaters top the list of business types that are soon hoping to receive information on when they can reopen their doors.
Mike Soster, owner of Functions of Life Fitness and Performance in Broadview Heights said he can reopen safely and still follow current state social distancing guidelines.
“There’s definitely a way that we can operate, and we truly believe that in a very safe way, but I don’t think we’re getting that opportunity," Soster said. “We’re 15,000 square feet, so if we had 10 people in there at one time each person can get 1,500 square feet, that’s like a small condo. We know that we can operate in a safe way, but we’re not being allowed to, but we just don’t know why we’re not allowed to. We just want some explanation.”
Staci and Bill Russell, owners of CrossFit Cleveland in Rocky River, believe DeWine is judging every fitness the same way when it comes to being able to reopen and maintain safe practices.
They believe fitness operations should be allowed to reopen if they can provide a floor plan that allows them to meet state safety requirements.
“We're in our own space, everybody has their own equipment, it can be sanitized before and after classes," Staci Russell said. “There are so many small gyms like ours, personal training centers, fitness centers ,that are instructor led, teaching four to six to eight people at a time,” Bill Russell said
Other business sectors still waiting for a reopening date from the governor are movie theaters, indoor swimming pools, rec centers, auditoriums, museums, casinos and racinos, amusement parks, message therapy locations, camp grounds and social clubs.
Libby Yoho, owner of Libby Yoho Cosmetics in Canton at Belden Village said tattoo salons are not getting fair shake from DeWine.
“A lot of these requirements that are being set for salons that are opening are things that we we’re doing previous to any of this,” Yoho said. “We are required to take blood-borne pathogen training, first aid training, we use hospital grade disinfectants, I always wear a mask when I’m with clients, we use PPE everyday. I have a lot of clients that come to me for medical reasons, whether they went through chemotherapy, whether they lost their eyebrows due to an autoimmune disease.”
Meanwhile on Thursday, DeWine hinted that information on a potential opening date and safety protocols for day care centers could be released on May 11.
