Listen to this article
OKLAHOMA CITY – Most businesses in Oklahoma City are allowed to reopen Friday, as the state enters the first phase of a plan to reboot the economy. But it’s not back to business as usual just yet.
Some businesses will have to take a gradual, careful approach to reopening not only in order to meet requirements imposed by the city but also to win the confidence of employees and consumers.
“May 1st is not a light switch, it is a dimmer,” said Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt on April 24 when announcing the city’s shelter-in-place order would expire on April 30 and the first phase of a plan to restart the economy would begin on May 1. City officials will reevaluate the plan on May 15.
“If we are to move into a new phase of our pandemic response, we should resolve to do so with conditions in place that limit the spread of this virus,” said Holt in a statement issued with the May 1 proclamation. “These social distancing and sanitizing protocols for the highest-risk activities have been vetted by our local public health officials and they represent common sense.”
Employees for many businesses must have their temperature taken when they report to work, either by the employee or their employer, and those with a fever of 100.4 degrees must be sent home.
Restaurants are encouraged to continue offering takeout and delivery options, but may open reopen dining rooms on Friday along with bars with on-premises food service, breweries, wineries, taverns, shopping mall food courts, food halls and cafeterias. Waitstaff members are required to wear face masks, tables must be spaced at least 6 feet apart, and parties of no more than 10 are allowed at one table unless they are household family members. Menus must be sanitized after each use, as must condiment bottles, tables, chairs and “objects needed to complete a purchase.” Service at buffets and salad bars must be provided by an employee.
Movie and live theaters, concert halls, bingo halls, sporting venues, amusement parks, places of worship and other businesses where people gather must offer seating in a staggered manner, every other row and with at least two seats between customer groups in the same row.
Hair and nail salons, barbershops, cosmetology facilities, esthetician facilities, laser hair removal facilities, spas, massage facilities, tattoo parlors and piercing facilities may provide services to customers seen by appointment only. Employees must use face masks, and customers must be offered a disposable face mask. Businesses must sanitize chairs and tools between customers and make sure customers receiving services are kept 6 feet from each other.
Gyms, recreation centers, exercise facilities, indoor sports facilities, indoor climbing facilities, bowling alleys, skating rinks, trampoline parks and similar facilities must maintain strict social distancing. Employees that have contact with the public must wear face masks. Touch points must be regularly cleaned and sanitized, particularly in locker rooms and bathrooms, and shared equipment must be cleaned after each use. Hand hand-washing or hand-sanitizing supplies must be available for customers and employees.
In addition to addressing the health concerns of customers, businesses have to address the concerns of their employees. As many as 67% of businesses responding to a recent survey conducted by the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber cited “employee fear” as the biggest barrier they’ll have to overcome as they resume operations. The second-greatest concern was a lack of coronavirus testing, followed by lack of hand sanitizer and the threat of legal liability.
“We’ve heard similar concerns from many of our members as we’ve reached out to them during this crisis,” said Roy Williams, CEO and president of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber. Thirty-seven percent of businesses plan to bring their employees back in stages, while another 20% of companies will have their staff return all at once.
Some businesses are choosing to remain closed given all the challenges involved, such as Norman massage therapist Syd Lowery.
“It’s a little terrifying, to be honest. I work for myself, I go to peoples’ homes. … I don’t think we’re ready to reopen,” Lowery said, adding that massage therapy is “the opposite of social distancing.”
Zio’s Italian Kitchen in Oklahoma City will reopen in-house service on Friday, in accordance with the governor’s guidelines, said Jennifer Holliday, a manager at the venue. Holliday said getting furloughed employees to return, though, has been difficult as many are not returning phone calls or messages that the restaurant is reopening.
Stand-alone bars, nightclubs, vaping lounges and the Remington Park gaming area remain closed.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
