Covid-19 can spread so easily, AND WILL, and anyone can carry it anywhere. If states reopen without adequate testing and tracing for containment, outbreaks will occur all across the country as people move around again and contact others. For those of us who have been so responsible and careful, the last thing we want is for other states and their policies, and residents and visitors, to jeopardize our own health and families AND further jeopardize health care workers. That is just WRONG! WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER!

By signing this petition we agree, though we may need the income, the risk is still too high and unknown. We are signing this petition to postpone the “Soft Opening”, "One Client at a Time", and to prolong the opening of any and all personal services to prevent spread and unsafe environments for the personal care service providers and clients. "Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others" - CDC How can we maintain the recommended safe distance of 6 foot while performing a service that requires direct physical contact with clients? Service providers and clients / guests are usually a maximum distance of one foot or less while performing / receiving these services. How can we guarantee safety and prevention of spreading the coronavirus in a salon when it is not currently guaranteed for those who are on the front-line in the medical field with proper PPE. If personal service providers had PPE how would this have an effect on the supplies for the medical professionals who need the PPE for patients and themselves? In the link above from The United States Department Of Labor for hazard recognition you will see these services would be defined as "HIGH EXPOSURE RISK" based off of the close proximity to perform personal services. Personal Services are not listed but the examples of exposure are. Personal care services are NOT essential services, as personal care services are a “LUXURY SERVICE”. No ones hair, nails, massages, facials, eyelashes, eyebrows, or other personal care service are above the risk of life lost. Personal care services do not provide BASIC HUMAN NEED. Personal care services are an important and unique services, but are not essential. Essential services should only include the well being of human health, safety, nutrition, utilities, home safety, and basic human needs or necessities. Personal Care services are not basic human needs nor necessary. If there are for health reasons then they should only be performed by the health care facilities. Opening these services may cause crowds and gatherings of more than 10 people at a time. This could also have more than 10 people in the same facility in a day which could cause potential spread. The Covid-19 is still very new, unpredictable, and still not fully understood. The CDC has yet to completely determine how to fully prevent spread, infection, a cure, or a vaccination to protect humanity as a whole. It would be best to remain closed temporarily and prolong the reopening of any and all personal care to reduce the chance of spreading the coronavirus and causing another spike or backpedal of all that has been accomplished by the social distancing. If and when we are deemed safe to re-open personal care services then we should be one of the last business types and services to open due to our need to be in close proximity of one another to perform such services. Many of us have clients with health issues like cancer, emphysema, diabetes, and more. If we are to re-open, how are we guaranteed that we will not be infected by a client and unknowingly spread the coronavirus to others? If we are to re-open, clients must trust that it is safe for them to come in for services. Even with adhering to a strict cleaning and decontamination policy, how can we guarantee that clients won’t contract the coronavirus? It is human nature to forget, get side tracked, and even skip a step unconsciously. What if our human nature can cause risk? What if a simple touch to an unsanitized surface causes a person to get sick? What if a simple sneeze while wearing a mask is not filtered enough as we stand / sit over one another? What if someone forgets a simple sanitation step? There are too many unknown variables and what if's to reopen at this time. As said above it is impossible to keep a safe social distance based off of the CDS's recommendation when we have to touch clients / guests to perform personal care services in less than a 6 foot distance even while wearing a mask. It is also almost impossible to follow the OSHA safety and sanitation guidelines as personal care service providers that do not have PPE attire. Personal Care Service providers would also need the proper training to learn all that these guidelines entail prior to opening which would not be possible in a short period of time. For the professionals in the personal care service industry, many have families that need to be protected as some are high risk to Covid-19. The business owners and service providers may have family members at home with underlying health issues. The service providers do not want to risk their own health or the health of their families by taking an unnecessary risk of bringing this virus home if the mandated orders are lifted prior to more facts of a guarantied safety or lower risk of spread. If personal care services are called to re-open the service providers will lose other financial aid and/or help from companies like the utilities, mortgage / rent, car payments, Unemployment, SBA loans, PPP loans, and more. These financial options are currently understanding of the pandemic and are willing to work with personal care providers. This is helping us stay home, safe, prevention of spread to high risk family members, high risk clients / guest, all while preventing the risk of losing their businesses and or job opportunities.

There are a lot of petitions going around asking you to let hair stylists, barbers, nail technicians, aestheticians, massage therapists, etc. go back to work. Even though they are suggesting using sanitation and proper cdc guidelines, this is in no way possible. Please understand we are touching everyone that walks in the door. Even if we limit it to one client at a time per service provider we are still putting ourselves and everyone that walks in at risk. Are aesthetics essential enough? It’s a NO from me!

As hair stylists we are trained in sanitation and keeping our tools and work stations clean. We need to be able to provide for ourselves and our family's.

Tattoo and body art professionals are trying to survive. These entrepreneurs are trained and skilled professionals who adhere to strict guidelines provided by the Board of Health and should be afforded the right to generate income. Our state is an anchor for many entrepreneurs to provide a home, safety, and nutritious food for their families, which is now being threatened by regulations that disproportionality impact tattoo artists and body art professionals. Poverty is a well known contributor to raise violence, addiction, homelessness, mental illness, and suicide. Continuing to restrict tattoo artists and body art professionals from generating income threatens the foundation of our community that has made great strides in reducing poverty, homelessness, and mental illness. Tattoo artists and body art professionals need to safely reopen their doors for business to allow Indiana to continue to make strides. Eric Holcomb proudly said "Indiana is ushering in an era of record job commitments, record infrastructure investments, and new career training opportunities, all while tackling our biggest issues head-on." Putting people first means allowing small shops and entrepreneurs to exercise their right to practice safely, which keeps Indiana as a leader in community growth.

Cigar stores in Dallas County are closed because the businesses are considered non essential. Like liquor, tobacco is a product people have legally used and enjoyed since before the founding of this Country. Curb side is safe for food and liquor, why not tobacco? It is nuance without a difference. When I see 80 cars at Loews and 50 cars at major liquor stores what is the impact of 1 or 2 cars at the cigar store? It is safer! Allowing a customer to order ahead and pick up on a couple of cigars at curb side at a Cigar store is safer than it is to go through the drive through at McDonalds.

So far the best Gym I have been to in Greenville SC. This gym Met all of the major requirements a true gym rat needed: functional equipment, always clean, family environment, friendly staff, knowledgeable trainers and great hours of operation! This gym was the best gym I have ever trained at! The gym was always crowded and seemed to be profitable. This location is also the one location that is centrally located. We “all member’s” are very upset this location is the one closing in SC!

As health and fitness professionals as well as small business owners, we want to make sure that when we begin our work again, we do so in a way that protects the health and safety of our members and community. We have developed a white paper that spells out what we think are best practices and standards for the fitness industry to reopen and operate safely and effectively. Our gyms allow us to engage in these powerful preventative measures in a manner that is far safer than any grocery store, bakery, liquor store, retail outlet, or gas station; all of which are still operating as "essential" businesses. Not to mention, other “gyms” cannot do what we do as we have hundreds of members, whereas they have thousands. Not to mention, when our clients are healthier, they are more readily able to fight disease!

Skies are more clear. Smog no longer hangs over our highways like a haze. Life seems more balanced these days between life and family. Coffee at home tastes better. Road rage is no longer a problem. No longer must a commuter fear being struck by a drunk or intoxicated driver on their way to work. These are just a few reasons why working from home is the employment mantra of the future. Additionally, working from home reduces costs to companies such as rent, space and other facilities and has been shown to increase productivity among employees. COVID-19 has forced traditional, corporate culture to rethink how to be more efficient and, in many cases, just survive. We are discovering that companies are more capable than they thought when they allow their employees to telecommute. Working from home has shown to improve morale, improve productivity and protect commuters from tragic accidents on the way to work. Employees also have more free time to devote to their families, and it forces them to reflect on what’s most important to them in their lives. Working remotely not only promotes a better work-life balance but also allows individuals more time and energy to put towards projects that moves society forward.

Because it falls under hygiene… Some jobs require specifications for lengths of haircuts such as military, delivery services in the food industry. Also pertains to medical nurses and doctors. One nurse quoted:”I want to feel & look good for my patients.” Hairstylists need to be able to go back to work and provide an essential hygienic service – mostly haircuts

You might ask, why is this so important!? Beauty professionals are at risk of survival. We are facing grave financial hardships due to the pandemic.

Independent Beauty Professionals rely on the income from clients. They cannot perform a haircut online. While the “beauty industry is deemed “Non essential”, the ability to practice their craft is very ESSENTIAL to their livelihood. They are facing a grave financial hardship.