Restaurants, retail can reopen – with conditions
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Diane Dibble takes customers’ orders from their vehicles Wednesday at Musselwhite’s in East Palatka. -
Musselwhite’s is still providing curbside deliveries, but employees said they are not sure what their plan is moving forward.
Putnam County coronavirus cases rested at 103 on Wednesday, the same day Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Phase 1 of Florida’s reopening plan.
The plan outlined the first of three phases in the path for Florida to get back to business, with DeSantis reminding state residents his stay-at-home order ends today.
The reopening will begin Monday, but personal services, such as hairdressers, barbers, bars and gyms, will not be part of the reopening.
“Each step will bring us closer to that light at the end of the tunnel,” DeSantis said during a press conference Wednesday.
Under DeSantis’ most recent announcement, elective surgeries can resume, retail stores can operate at 25% capacity and restaurants may have outdoor seating 6 feet apart and indoor seating at 25% capacity.
DeSantis said these reopenings would not apply to Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties because of the high number of positive cases in South Florida.
There were 1,493 people in Putnam County tested, with 1,387 tests returning negative and three pending, according to floridadisaster.org.
Before DeSantis’ conference, employees of local businesses impacted by the pandemic said they would take steps to keep the public as safe as possible when reopening.
Trisha Thompson, manager at Beef ‘O’ Brady’s in Palatka, said the restaurant would provide extra sanitation and remove many of the restaurant’s tables to abide by the capacity mandate.
“We’re still going to keep curbside (service) for people that don’t want to come inside,” Thompson said.
Musselwhite’s in East Palatka did not have definite plans Wednesday, but employee Diane Dibble said the staff would meet to discuss the restaurant’s future plans.
“We’re not ready to open up,” Dibble said. “We’re too scared.”
The Florida Department of Health in Putnam County confirmed the highest number of cases in the county to be from Palatka, with 66 cases. Interlachen has 14, East Palatka has 12, Crescent City has four, Satsuma has three, Welaka has two, and Hawthorne and Hollister each has one.
DeSantis did not set a date to begin the second phase of his reopening plan but said he and government officials will monitor conditions to see when it is safe to commence the next part.
“We’re going to be safe, smart and we’re going to do this step by step,” DeSantis said. “There’s not going to be a firm time.”
The number of coronavirus cases in Florida was up to 32,318 Wednesday, with 1,218 deaths statewide, according to the Florida Department of Health. One death has been reported in Putnam County since the virus outbreak.
Although Crystal Alexander won’t yet be able to reopen her salon, The tHairapy Centre in Palatka, she said she will be taking many more precautions for when the shop reopens.
“We’re changing a lot,” Alexander said. “We’re going to be going above and beyond.”
The store will intensely disinfect working areas between clients, have dividers between stations and have employees wear masks.
Clients may also be asked to wait in their cars until it is time for their appointments, she said.
“We’re just all on the edge waiting,” Alexander said.