What you need to know about Ohio’s reopenings this week

YOUNGSTOWN — After nearly two months of being stuck at home, Ohioans will have the opportunity to shop, get haircuts and eat at a restaurant starting this week.

In preparation for these new developments, state-appointed advisory groups made up of leaders in each industry have established best practices for reopening.

The state has not required that customers wear masks, but some businesses may require mask-wearing in their stores or restaurants.

Here's what you can expect if you are out and about this week:

May 12

Retail stores are permitted to open Tuesday. Both Valley malls — Southern Park Mall and Eastwood Mall Complex — have announced they will reopen May 12.

Per the sector-specific guidelines released by the state, retail employees must perform daily symptom assessments, wear face coverings, practice regular handwashing and go home if they experience COVID-19 symptoms.

Stores must establish specific hours for vulnerable customers, make hand sanitizer available, clean high-contact surfaces hourly, establish maximum capacity and post signage regarding social distancing.

For now, food courts will remain closed, and self-service food stations must be discontinued.

In response to a follow-up question from Mahoning Matters about what customers should do if a store does not enforce the state's safety guidance, a spokesperson said, "Concerns can be communicated directly to the Southern Park Mall management team through the town center."

Regarding all other questions, Washington Prime Group directed Mahoning Matters to the mall's code of conduct.

In a conversation with Mahoning Matters last week, Cafaro Co. spokesperson Bell said the state hasn't suggested mall operators would be involved in enforcing the state's safety guidelines, but that Cafaro Co. would "be sure to understand what our responsibilities are" once retail comes back online May 12.

"We're anxious to get open — we most certainly are," he said. "We are going to take this just methodically and carefully. … We're reaching out to public health officials to make sure we're doing this properly. We want to be responsible in the way we open up the mall."

May 15

Salons, barbershops and day spas are permitted to reopen Friday. Food-serving establishments may reopen for outside dining.

Per industry-specific state guidelines, retail employees must perform daily symptom assessments, wear face coverings, practice regular handwashing and go home if they experience COVID-19 symptoms.

Businesses must maintain 6 feet of distanct between customers, clean high-touch areas after each use, make hand sanitizer available, establish maximum capacity, specify hours for vulnerable populations, discontinue self-service refreshments and post social distancing signage.

The state also required salons and spas to maintain accurate appointment records complete with contact information for each client to assist in contact tracing.

In anticipation of reopening, Casals dé Spa & Salon owner Paul Ciarniello ordered masks and hand sanitizer, installed plexiglass barriers and arranged the chairs to comply with social distancing guidelines.

He plans to have employees start calling clients May 15 and schedule for the following Monday.

"There's been a lot of different emotions," Ciarniello, regarding his team. Some employees think it's too soon. Others were asking about the protocol for reopening.

"The next step is, before I start calling clients and opening the phones, I do have to figure out who's ready to come back. It's been a whirlwind since 2," Ciarniello said Thursday evening. "It's terrifying."

May 21

Food-serving establishments may reopen for indoor dining next week.

Per the state-established guidelines for restaurants, food service employees must perform daily symptom assessments, wear face coverings, practice regular handwashing and go home if they experience COVID-19 symptoms. Restaurants must provide employees with approved COVID-19 education.

Restaurants are also required to ensure at least 6 feet of distance between parties — of ten or fewer— establish a maximum capacity, post a list of COVID-19 symptoms, provide hand-washing products in common areas, clean between seatings, clean the entire establishment daily and remove self-service.

The working group decided not to differentiate between bars and restaurants to provide flexibility to business owners who can alter their operations in compliance with state guidelines.

"I'm very guarded on this. I'm not saying 'I'm excited' because I don't know what it's going to mean," Kravitz Deli owner Jack Kravitz said about reopening.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, deli has shifted its weight toward carryout service, and he said he hopes Valley residents choose to order out rather than in — at least for now.

"Will there still be a preference for curbside carryout? … I hope people aren't gonna think that 'Hey the pandemic is over.' That's just as bad," Kravitz said. "What I don't want to see: If they [reopen] then come September, all of a sudden, we're all closed down again. I don't know if [the industry will] survive it."

Here are the full state guidelines for re-opening restaurants and bars and personal beauty services establishments, taken from the Responsible Restart Ohio site. To view a full-sized version, click the icon in the upper-right:

Ohio trends

In the past three weeks, cases in Ohio have continued to climb. Here's a quick look at how quickly cases and deaths are increasing:

April 19 to April 25

• 3,691 new cases, an average of 721 new cases per day
• 218 new deaths, an average of 33.9 new deaths per day

April 26 to May 2

• 3,177 new cases, an average of 507.7 new cases per day
• 263 new deaths, an average of 39.9 new deaths per day

May 3 to May 9

• 3,466 new cases, an average of 574.7 new cases per day
• 257 new deaths, an average of 37.7 new deaths per day

Given these trends, many Ohioans aren't ready to start dining out, despite the fact that restaurants will be fully open by the end of the month.

In a Mahoning Matters poll, about 70 percent of the 254 respondents answered they would not feel comfortable dining at a restaurant until July or later.

This story was originally published May 11, 2020 at 3:52 AM with the headline "What you need to know about Ohio’s reopenings this week."