WATSONVILLE—Minutes after Santa Cruz County received state approval to reopen barbershops and hair salons on May 30, barber Rigo Navarro said he received the first of what would be a flood of calls from his loyal customers asking when he would be open for business.
Navarro, the owner of Clip Joint Barber Shop on East Lake Avenue, had heard reports that state approval could take up to a week. State officials gave the county the green light in less than a day.
“It was a surprise,” Navarro said. “I remember thinking, ‘I’m not ready. I don’t have what I need.’”
Navarro kept his doors closed and rushed to purchase and install hand sanitizer stations and move around his barber chairs to meet the six-foot physical distancing requirements inside his cozy 420-square-foot shop.
Navarro’s business, now in its 18th year, reopened on Sunday and dozens of customers have funneled in and out of their chairs since then. But things aren’t back to normal: There is only one person per barber allowed in the shop, cuts come by appointment only and Navarro’s staff must document everyone who walks through the door.
“It’s different,” he said.
Many local businesses have followed Navarro’s slow-but-safe approach as the county and state have picked up their pace in easing restrictions put in place to slow the novel coronavirus. Others, however, have been quicker to swing their doors open for their customers.
Jalisco Restaurant in downtown Watsonville opened for dine-in service shortly after the county received state approval, and other local eateries such as The Farm House, Cowboys Corner Cafe and Red Apple Cafe have followed their lead. But other family-owned restaurants such as Cilantro’s and El Frijolito are still only offering takeout while they determine their plan to keep employees and customers safe.
Many local places of worship have also taken their time to prep their reopening strategy after getting the OK from the state on May 26. The Diocese of Monterey on Sunday announced mass would return this weekend, meaning St. Patrick’s and Our Lady of Assumption, along with several other churches throughout the Central Coast, will reopen Saturday.
Friday more industries such as movie theaters, gyms, bars and hotels will start the reopening process. The state has released guidelines for all of those sectors to follow as they reopen at their own pace.
The Green Valley Cinema has been closed since the shelter-in-place restrictions were announced in mid-March, and its website and social media accounts have been silent since. Multiple calls into the independent theater have gone unanswered.
Gold’s Gym in Watsonville is planning to reopen Friday with modified hours (6am-9pm) and a so-called “Code of Conduct,” which requires all members to come equipped with a full-body workout towel, thoroughly wipe down equipment after use and wash their hands before and after their workouts. Members will also be subject to a health screening and a temperature check before entering and must wear a mask when not engaged in physical activity inside the facility.
The pool will be open but only for individual workouts. Group classes such as pilates will also resume but members must bring their own mats and other accessories.
Saunas, steam rooms and hot tubs will be closed.
“It’s really important that our members follow the guidelines,” said co-owner Martina Solbes-Moran.
The state’s guidelines do not specify a capacity limit. Gyms are free to determine their own maximum capacity that will promote physical distancing requirements.
To meet those requirements Solbes-Moran said they have completely redesigned the gym’s layout. They have also added several new machines and weights since closing in March.
The reopenings come as the county on Wednesday had the largest single-day surge of cases (10) since Covid-19 arrived in early March.
“I’m worried that it’s a sign of times to come, as we have grown somewhat complacent and impatient and overly enthusiastic about the reopenings,” Santa Cruz County Health Officer Gail Newel said at a Thursday press conference.
There are 50 known active Covid-19 cases in Santa Cruz County as of Thursday. Of the county’s 249 total cases, 118 of them have been identified in Watsonville.
