Long Island businesses welcome Phase Three of reopening
LONG ISLAND - Long Island finally made the move to Phase 3 of reopening on Wednesday and for the first time in just about 100 days, you can once again visit a nail salon or spa or eat inside a restaurant.
John Coumatos, owner of BK Sweeney’s Parkside Tavern in Bethpage is following the state’s protocol closely but with the bar area still closed for a few more weeks and only 50% capacity allowed inside, he says it’s still far from business as usual.
“Thermometers for staff when they walk in, the bathrooms cleaned every 20 minutes,” he said. “The future for us is do people want to come inside or are they still scared?”
Outdoor gatherings for up to 25 people are included in Phase 3 as well as the use of tanning salons and tattoo parlors.
Bruce Kaplan owner of Lark Tattoo in Westbury has been waiting for this day.
“We make sure that we’re handling everything as if everyone tested positive,” Kaplan said.
The Village of Westbury has well over 100 stores, about a quarter of them are food establishments and restaurants.
Eric Alexander with Vision Long Island stresses the importance of shopping and dining locally.
“Go to your retail shops that are open on these nice days,” he said. “Support Main Street businesses”
According to officials, Long Island - one of the hardest-hit areas by COVID-19 has made a tremendous comeback.
“Since we began the opening process that was 28 days ago, we’ve seen an 85% decrease in COVID hospitalizations,” said Nassau County Executive Laura Curran.
And when we enter one phase it’s only natural to think what’s next. Phase four set to open in two weeks includes museums, zoos, aquariums, and historical sites. However, as per Governor Cuomo, gyms, movie theaters, and indoor shopping malls are no longer included and will reopen at a later date.