BROWN COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Brown County’s public health officer says she’s anticipating putting a new policy in place when the county’s current Safer at Home order expires next week.
Brown County’s order put in place Wednesday night after the Supreme Court struck down the statewide Safer at Home order expires at the end of the day Tuesday. Businesses then can start reopening next Wednesday, May 20th.
Brown County Public Health Officer Anna Destree says, at a minimum, the new order the county is considering will require businesses to follow WEDC reopening guidelines.
“We want them to be able to open up, be successful, and not have to worry about future outbreaks further down the road.”
When the statewide Safer at Home order ended Wednesday night, Hansel Canady drove from Oconto Falls to prepare his Green Bay barbershop, Hancan Barbershop, to reopen.
“Once I got out there I started cleaning and all of a sudden getting all these text messages saying like we can’t open up until next Wednesday now, so I’m like oh crap, like what do I do now?”
Brown County officials recommend business owners like Canady use the time to put the industry-specific reopening guidelines in place laid out by the WEDC last week.
“This week is really going to be about giving them the tools so that in the end they and their business succeed so we can successfully open Brown County up safely,” said Destree.
Destree tells FOX 11 the next week will determine whether additional restrictions, like gathering limits, will be necessary.
“In the end, we’re going to do what is best for Brown County, but we still have to take these steps and actions to see what others are doing as well.”
As for the state guidelines, WEDC has four pages of recommendations for hair and nail salons. They include eliminating waiting areas, employees wearing masks as well as face shields if available, and putting in handwashing or hand sanitizer stations for both employees and customers.
“I feel like they went into our sanitation laws in our industry and just pretty much did a copy and paste kind of thing,” said Canady.
Canady tells FOX 11 he will be read the guidelines and is ok doing whatever is asked so he can reopen.
“I will add on an extra 10 minutes between clients just to make sure I’m thoroughly clean. I wouldn’t want anybody leaving out of my establishment with the COVID you know, so I’m going to do the best I can.”
County officials say they will resort to enforcement efforts if businesses do not put the WEDC reopen guidelines in place.
While the county is moving forward as if businesses will reopen next Wednesday, officials say test results still need to continue to show a downward trend for that to happen.
