Businesses begin to reopen
As COVID-19 cases have decreased locally, Ventura County has moved into the red tier, meaning that businesses and other operations can open under strict regulations. Indoor dining is now allowed for restaurants, and other services can begin to allow members inside.
Snapper Jack’s Taco Shack is just one of the businesses that has started to allow customers inside. Stephanie Zager, senior and employee at Snapper Jack’s, believes it is difficult to have indoor dining but the precautions allow for the safest possible experience. “We have limited seating,” Zager said. “All customers also have to wear masks the entire time they’re in the restaurant except when seated.” Employees wear masks the entire time, frequently wash their hands and work behind a glass screen when taking orders. While Zager feels safe from wearing her own mask, she feels other customers do not wear theirs correctly. “I also am constantly having to tell people to not only wear their mask but to put it over their nose,” Zager said.
One of the main businesses that was hit hard by COVID-19 were gyms due to the fact that all members use the same hands-on equipment. Like restaurants, gyms have all the customers and employees wear masks and their temperatures must be checked before entering. There is also a limit to how many people are allowed at the gym at one time. Matt Lippert, junior, has been to Fitness 19 and experienced these new changes first hand. “They clean all of the equipment every hour… and they have [covers to prevent germs from spreading] on all the door handles,” Lippert said.
Jacob Flame’s Tang Soo Do University, a karate studio in Newbury Park, began holding classes inside the studio for the first time in months. Their precautions are the standard temperature, sanitize, and mask requirements. Robert Ramirez, freshman at Moorpark, works at the karate studio. “Front and back doors are open during all class times, we limit our class sizes and offer Zoom classes,” Ramirez said. “Also, students get their temperature checked at the door and we sanitize the mat after every class.”
Ramirez feels safe working at the studio because he carries out each of these precautions himself. “For the most part it feels like the studio is almost normal,” Ramirez said. “We cannot train hand-to-hand with each other but we can still run drills and use equipment which we wipe down after every use. For the most part it is just a regular time with extra steps.”
Through difficult times, businesses have found resourceful ways to continue their service. Following state guidelines, employees and customers have worked together to create close to normal experiences for everyone.
