Bellmore, Merrick businesses gear up for Phase Two

Chris Guardino said he was ecstatic when Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced hair salons and barber shops would be included in the Phase Two reopening of Long Island’s economy June 10.

“It’s exciting for us and the customers,” said Guardino, owner of Aura Salon in Bellmore. “We’re a family-run business and celebrating our 20th anniversary later this year. The salon is our livelihood and passion.”

On May 31, Cuomo issued an executive order allowing dental offices to return to work statewide beginning the following day, and he also gave the green light to bump hair salons and barbershops up from Phase Three.

“I was watching the press conference when Cuomo announced it, and then my phone starting going crazy,” Guardino said.

Aura Salon, which will reopen as permitted June 10, has updated protocols to ensure that social distancing and other guidelines are implemented for the safety of clients and staff. Plexiglas dividers have been placed in between workstations and the front desk area, appointment times will be spread out, and all employees will wear masks and gloves.

Customers will be asked to call from the parking lot to notify the salon of their arrival and have their temperature checked before entering. They must also wear masks. Aura is also offering 30 percent discounts off any one service for essential workers with valid ID.

Nassau County Executive Laura Curran called the planned opening of barbershops and hair salons “great news,” and said the governor’s order allowing them to reopen gives “our business owners the certainty they need to reopen safely.”

The updated reopening timeline represents a continued drop in coronavirus hospitalizations, intubations and deaths, according to the governor. Over the final weekend of May, overnight deaths fell to 56, down from a high of 799 on April 9, he said — a 93 percent decline. By May 8, they had dropped to 35.

Merrick Pediatric Dentistry, headed by Dr. Rania Elbaz, has been closed since March 16, except for emergency appointments. The office partially reopened on June 3, and will be back “in full” starting June 15. Since the office is playing catchup with hundreds of missed appointments, no new patients will be accepted until the end of July.

Only one person per patient is allowed inside the office, and everyone will be required to wear a mask and follow social-distancing guidelines. “Our lobby is usually busy with kids playing while their brother or sister has an appointment,” Elbaz said. “That’s something we hope can return down the road.”

Phase Two reopening also includes office-based work, real estate services, in-store sales —curbside pickup only — vehicle sales, leases and rentals, retail rental, repair and cleaning and commercial building management.

Urban Farmhouse, a home décor and furniture shop in Bellmore, has been providing free local deliveries since the shutdown and will offer curbside pickup for the foreseeable future. The shop will reopen June 11 and operate six days a week — closed Wednesdays — starting at 10 a.m.

“We’ll be limiting the number of customers allowed in at the same time, but we haven’t decided how many, probably five,” said co-owner Lisa Iampieri, who noted hand sanitizer will be available at the store. “I’m sure people understand we have to crowd control.”

A big question on many residents’ minds is when will restaurants reopen for dining? Only takeout and curbside pickup is allowed now. In-person dining can resume in Phase Three, which is scheduled to begin in Nassau on June 24, if the number of hospitalizations and deaths remains steady or continues to drop.

Curran is already planning for the reopening of restaurants. She announced a plan to allow villages, towns and cities to shut down certain streets to facilitate al fresco dining, thus reducing the need for table capacity within eateries and enabling them to maintain six-foot social distancing. She is calling it “Open Streets.”

“Continuing the county’s efforts to support the revival of our downtowns and business districts, the county will be fast-tracking permitting approvals for temporary road closures, with a decision within a week of receiving an application,” the county website reads. To apply, visit www.nassacountyny.gov/OpenStreets.

The Nassau County Industrial Development Agency is also spending roughly $500,000 to provide 1,000 local small businesses and nonprofits with personal protective equipment. Businesses with fewer than 20 employees, minority- and women-owned businesses and businesses in economically distressed communities are eligible for the program. Businesses can apply at www.nassauboost.net.

All Nassau County businesses must, by state mandate, prepare reopening plans that detail how they intend to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus and ensure the safety of workers and customers. The plan must include wellness checks for employees and customers, disinfection and cleaning routines, social-distancing protocols, and PPE supply for employees and customers.