MILLERSBURG, PA — Gov. Tom Wolf announced that eight more counties in Pennsylvania will move to the “green phase” of the state’s reopening plan on Friday, June 19.
Of those eight counties, Dauphin County is one of them. The home to the state’s capital, residents in this county have been anxiously awaiting the call to move to green, especially business owners. Pennsylvania’s red-yellow-green phases are similar to the numbered phases of reopening in New York state.
One particular business owner expressed her excitement with the county finally moving to the green phase.
Cher Thomas is the owner of Platinum Studio in Millersburg, Pennsylvania. She is one of the many business owners in the county that has been shut down since March because they were considered “non-essential.”
“It was very hard sitting there each week thinking oh maybe this is the week, and praying and hoping we will go green,” Thomas said.
Frustration was a big factor for business owners like Thomas, especially since a lot of the surrounding counties have been in the green phase for some time now.
“We had that extra pressure,” Thomas said. “Clients would call us and ask if we could reopen just because the surrounding counties were, and thought that we can just take that step when we really couldn’t.”
Thomas said how it hasn’t just been business that she’s been losing during these difficult times.
“It’s not just a haircut,” Thomas said. “We make relationships. You’re kind of losing your friends. I had a ton of clients reach out to me asking how we’re doing and how they’re doing. We’re almost like a therapist in some ways.”
Here are some of the restrictions for hair salons under the “Green Phase”:
- 50% maximum occupancy
- Appointment only
- Masks are required
- Must follow CDC and DOH social distancing and cleaning guidelines
Thomas believes that if everyone does their part, it can help defeat this virus.
“We want to be safe,” Thomas said. “Not just for us, but for our clients. We don’t want this to happen again and we’re going to do what we have to do.”
As of June 19, there will only be 13 counties left in the state of Pennsylvania that won’t be green.
