Most if not all massage and salon businesses no longer have any form of income and have had no help at all for the past several weeks. We see you have done nothing to help us so now we must help ourselves. This is an opportunity for you to do the right thing before we must take more serious actions.

As independent contractors these individuals entire living is based on interaction with their clientele and the income it generates. With this continued shut down they are loosing out not only income but several may be in danger of closing their business that they have spent years building. Rent, utilities, and insurance premiums must continue to be paid but without income these shops maybe lost and forced to close. Please help by signing today.

BACKGROUND: I am the owner of a boutique fitness and nutrition studio, Fit Forward in Carlisle, PA. ALL fitness studios, gyms, health clubs, etc. in Pennsylvania were abruptly demanded to shut down on March 16th to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. In an abundance of caution to “flatten the curve,” I believe this was a smart decision to some degree, but also feel the importance and essential nature of the services we offer and what we do for our communities. For this reason I personally submitted for a waiver to be classified as "essential" due to the nature of our clientele, their needs, their disabilities, their rehab, and their counting on our assistance and expertise to help them maintain their health especially during this time. I got denied. Many other businesses such as certain Cabinet Companies (Owned by you Mr. Governor), Ice Cream Shops, Coffee Shops, etc were deemed "essential" and left alone to operate, knowing that these businesses would most likely allow more than one person at a given time to congregate in unsanitary, uncontrolled environments. Even stepping foot in a grocery store, a hardware store, or any open "essential" business right now is mind-blowing to me with the number of people in these places, the lack of sanitation, the people roaming around without masks on, the touching of items, paying with credit cards and touching screens, it seems impossible for those aforementioned "essential" businesses to host controlled environments. JUSTIFICATION: Boutique fitness studios are facilities of less than 7,500 square feet, mine personally is less than 3,500 sf, designed to serve small numbers of clients at any one time, whereas fitness centers are commonly known as facilities designed to serve hundreds of clients at a time. I believe that boutique fitness studios (particularly personal training studios) from the beginning have inappropriately been classified within a larger fitness center category directed at facilities with 250 people or more and alongside other industries such as cinemas (average size 200-300 client capacity) or as a large group fitness type studio where there are 20-50 participants in a small space. We can train one client at a time. We can stagger appointments to limit crossing of clients. We can limit the number of trainers and clients in the facility at any given time. We can remain a safe distance from our clients while working with them. We can provide masks, hand sanitation stations and can monitor everything going on within our facilities. With the controlled numbers in a boutique Fitness Studio, I am confident in knowing we can offer a very clean, safe and free from the virus spreading facility to our community. IMPACT: Because being healthy, fit, and free from preventative diseases such as high blood pressure and Type 2 Diabetes is a key defense against this disease, and potential recurring waves of the disease, opening smartly and quickly to assist our population is also critical to the long-term health of our society. The importance of our mental health is so relevant right now and there needs to be a place to release all the negative energy especially NOW. It's proven that exercise and eating well positively impacts those suffering from depression and anxiety. These numbers are on the rise. The health of millions of clients is at stake as we confront a future with COVID-19. For every week a typical boutique fitness studio is closed, it forgoes $5,000-$20,000 in revenue. The significant financial impact of this crisis expands not only to owners, but also to the millions of Independent Contractors and Employees in our industry that are unable to work from home. Given that the Boutique Fitness Industry is estimated to be worth 42% of an $88 billion Industry, the weekly impact is $710 million of lost revenue. The Boutique Fitness Industry is one of the few female- led industries in existence. We estimate that 75%+ of the owners and workers impacted by this crisis are women, to include myself, and many of whom are the sole breadwinners for their families. The radical impact to a female- led industry is undeniable. WE, THE UNDERSIGNED PROFESSIONALS AND CONSUMERS WITHIN THE BOUTIQUE FITNESS STUDIO COMMUNITY, RESPECTFULLY REQUEST BEING ABLE TO REOPEN BUSINESSES ON MAY 11th FROM YOU GOVERNOR WOLF I ask that those in agreement petition for ALL Boutique Fitness and Personal Training Studios be given the rights to do a soft reopening on May 1st, 2020. So far, the petitioning has been very active and positive. I am happy to announce that in the great terms of fairness several companies, businesses originally given "essential status" were finally resided and closed... to include The Wolf Cabinet Company and candy store owned by a Senate Majority Leader. It is time to allow us studio owners, personal trainers, and nutrition counselors, get back to work for our community.

Our industry is mostly staffed by independent contractors who rely solely on clients to make money. We are facing a grave financial hardship and if this continues much longer will be forced to close barbershops and salons which would cause is to lose our livlihoods.

The survival of small business such as Hair Salons, Barbershops, Nail technician and ALL licensed beauty professionals is at risk. We are facing a grave financial hardship

As artist we fully understand the need and concern for guidelines and sanitational procedures. We also know putting our industry back to work is an even larger concern due to 6ft distancing. With an already strict protocol of zero cross contamination, we suggest implementing the usage of extra precautions listed above. We hope to implement these extra precautions with local health and human services, to begin the right steps to securing our workforce here in North Carolina. Covid 19 is affecting the economy in major ways and forcing people to make tough decisions for their families based upon recent events and work displacement. To ease the economical pain in our industry it is in our best discretion to open back up with these limited restrictions. Allowing shops to maintain one on one appointment based procedures, will keep these small business from going under, yet still maintain safety practices most "essential" operating businesses cannot.

The survival of the independent beauty professionals is at risk. We are facing a grave financial hardship.

Because health is achieved through fitness and actually increases immunity.

This is vital to tattoo artists, body piercers, etc. because we have zero income right now and the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program through The Cares Act has still not been implemented on the Indiana DWD website. A professional tattoo studio is one of the most sterile places you could be, and with proper measures in place we should be allowed to open our doors.

Survival of Hair Salons, Stylists, Owners and independent beauty professionals is at risk. We are facing a grave financial hardship. Clients are also having to resort to outside means for grooming, hair cut and color maintenance. This will also prevent a rush to salons when we are actually given a date to reopen, which will protect the community, ourselves and our clients from a surge of re-exposure.

Here in New York City every night at 7PM EST, we show our thanks and appreciation by applauding from our windows to honor the essential workers who are making sure we are safe and healthy, we have the food we need, our lights are on, and our water is running. That undoubtedly makes an impact night after night. What would make an even bigger impact is ensuring that their rights are protected and that essential workers all across America are going to work each day with proper protective gear, hazard pay, and guaranteed sick pay and medical and family leave. This, in addition to the other rights that we are fighting for, will make a real difference in the lives of essential workers all across America. On a personal note: I, like so many Americans, have lost work due to the coronavirus crisis. As someone who would typically be disqualified from receiving UI, I have immense gratitude for Democrats insisting that unemployment benefits be expanded to include gig workers and freelancers. Now, I am asking you to help petition expanding the care even further. Let's get our essential workers protected in the next stimulus package. I'm signing this for my father and my family members who are essential workers. This petition is for you, your loved ones, your friends -- it's a no-brainer. Let's stand in solidarity with our workers on the front lines. Call your representatives. Sign the petition TODAY.

Servicing one client at a time (while wearing a mask & gloves) poses little to no risk of spreading the virus, as compared to 20 or more people in a grocery store or 10 plus people at restaurants picking up food. Why is this important? The survival of the independent beauty professionals is at risk. We are facing a grave financial hardship. How it will be delivered Email