ST. MARYS, Ga. — On Friday business owners took more strangers' temperatures and wiped down the same door handles more times than possibly ever before.
The first day of non-essential businesses reopening in Georgia has gone smoothly in St. Marys, according to some salon and barbershop owners.
When you first enter the shopping plaza off Kings Bay Road, everything appears normal, but upon closer look, you see the signs of the pandemic. There's a check-in booth outside of Salon EllaPar and there are a number of people sitting in their cars outside Liberty Barber Shop to limit the number of people inside.
An employee has to unlock the door to let you into Jill Riendeau's Salon EllaPar and there is tape on the floor for where to stand. All of the workers wear masks.
"It's bizarre," Riendeau said. "It's hard to color and cut with this mask on. It's hot."
A few doors down, employees at Liberty Barber Shop have to turn away walk-in customers because they, like the salon, are only taking customers by appointment.
"They have to wash their hands," explained owner Lee DePew. "We're gonna time them."
In addition to washing their hands, those who do have an appointment must get their temperatures checked at the door and complete a questionnaire.
"We're making it all work," Riendeau said. "Whatever works is what we're doing."
But the move to open non-essential businesses draws criticism from across the nation. With new coronavirus cases every day and more than 800 people dead in Georgia, Steve Bells will not be opening his boxing gym for two weeks.
"You're just running to open it up soon as things get going, I think that's a mistake," said Bells, owner of World Class Boxing Gym in St. Marys.
Staff at the gym are volunteers and don't depend on it financially. The changes they see when they come back will be permanent.
"I'm not bringing gloves back in my gym," Bells said about gym gear lent to boxers. "I'm not bringing personal head gears back in my gym, I'm not doing any of that stuff. What I'm doing now, these guidelines will be in place as long as my gym is open."
Bells says they will see how the first two weeks go of non-essential businesses being open and use the time to form a plan. DePew says he's willing to close his shop if customers do not follow the rules.
On Monday theaters, private social clubs, and dine-in restaurants can open in Georgia.
Learn why Riendeau and DePew felt they needed to reopen and could do so safely, here.