Alaska’s Governor Unveils his "Reopening" Plan for Beauty Salons, Restaurants and Other Businesses
April 21, 2020
The first phase for the reopening of the economy in Alaska could be starting next week for some businesses such as retail stores, restaurants, hairdressers and beauty salons.
Low COVID-19 contagion numbers in Alaska, deaths and hospitalizations at this time indicates that some businesses could reopen, state officials said at a Press Conference on Monday, April 20, 2020.
It is known that at least half of the 321 positive cases of Coronavirus in Alaska are considered "recovered. “
The Governor, Mike Dunleavy, pointed out that people should continue to practice social distancing, wear face masks in public, and wash their hands constantly.
"These were hard-fought gains by the people in Alaska, there's been a lot of sacrifices from businesses and Alaskan workers, these businesses are local businesses that employ Alaskan people," Dunleavy said of the relatively low COVID-19 numbers in the state.
On the other hand, Dunleavy also referred to this first phase of restarting activities confirming that "Alaska is prioritizing certain sectors for this initial phase of reopening, not only because there is a "demand for those services" but because they can take measures such as wearing face masks and disinfecting surfaces. It is also possible that, if there is enough space, a family that lives in the same household can eat in a restaurant together as long as health mandates are maintained."
To kick-start the first phase, state officials want to see a "constant 14-day drop trend" in the number of cases, said Dr. Anne Zink, Alaska's medical director.
Other priorities for the state include wide-ranging testing of COVID-19, appropriate personal protective equipment for health professionals, and extensive hospital capacity.
For his part, the mayor of Anchorage, Ethan Berkowitz, also presented a plan on Monday, which he considered very similar to that of Governor Dunleavy, this plan also depends on a downward trend in positive cases for 14 days. However, Berkowitz provided a less specific timeline to report a restart date of activities and did not give specific details of how hairdressers and beauty salons might conduct business.
