State officials say a 3-week stay-at-home order triggered by rising ICU bed capacity is likely for Southern California this month, and some businesses, already fighting through operational restrictions, will have to close completely.
For Chelsea Adair, owner of Salon Adair, that means she’ll have to shut her business down for the second time during the coronavirus pandemic.
“The confusion is they said they wouldn't shut us down no matter the tier,” Adair said. “There's indefinite statements that don't line up with the next statement.”
If Southern California’s collective remaining ICU bed capacity falls below 15%, which state officials expect to happen mid-month, Adair’s salon, along with on-site dining, wineries and breweries, playgrounds, indoor recreational facilities, hair salons, personal care services, museums, movie theaters, card rooms and casinos, and family entertainment centers will close.
Adair already survived a months-long closure, and was able to adapt to safety requirements and capacity limits when salons were allowed to operate again. Reopening breathed new life into her business, Adair said, but Thursday’s news has her worried all that momentum will be lost.
The first shutdown forced her to get creative, and she started creating online content as replacements for in-person services. It helped, but she still suffered $500,000 in losses.
If given the option, Adair said she’d stay open, but she believes the reasoning behind some of the state’s decisions could be bigger than one person, or one business. She said won’t revolt against despite the setbacks they will cause her business.
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“If the big dogs are seeing something big, it's probably bigger than we're aware of and let's just close now. Be safe, take care of your family,” Adair said.
Adair said she is holding strong, but said she can’t say the same for some stylists who’ve felt overwhelmed by the instability of the restrictions and negativity of the current climate.
