In preparation of reopening, Peter Murphy cleans the floors at Desert Sports and Fitness, 2480 N. Pantano Rd., in Tucson, Ariz. on August 27, 2020. After being closed for a second time during the pandemic for two months, Desert Sports and Fitness is reopening Friday Aug. 28 from 6am to 3pm. Nothing has really changed since the first closure of gyms, said Kelly Shupe, manager of Desert Sports and Fitness. Every other piece of equipment is closed to allow for social distancing as well as equipment spread apart. Cleaning measures and signs have been added as well as extra sanitizing stations for cleaning equipment before and after each members use. "We have also added that members must wear either a mask or face shield while in the gym," added Shupe.
As of right now, bars in nine of the state's 15 counties, including Pima, can reopen.
But don't expect them to look and operate the way they did before the governor ordered them shuttered in March.
No dancing.
No karaoke.
No darts or pool.
And forget about wandering around in hopes of finding someone with whom to hook up.
Put simply, they have to operate more like a restaurant, complete with food. And the number of customers is limited to just half normal capacity.
The nine counties on Thursday all have achieved at least "moderate" status as far as the spread of COVID-19. And that permits not just bars but also gyms, fitness centers, movie theaters and water parks to reopen.
Only thing is, they have to agree to a laundry list of restrictions as state health officials say there still is a risk from the coronavirus. So for each of these businesses, the mission now is finding ways to open with limited capacity and limited activities and still make a living.
Some Tucson businesses are using the reopening opportunity to get creative.
In downtown, Cobra Arcade Bar and Senae Thai Bistro are partnering to increase their space and resources. The businesses are in the process of opening up a back window that connects their buildings, so that Senae can serve its Thai food at Cobra.
“Our seating capacity has been reduced to less than half. The dining room is so small,” Senae’s owner Dee Buizer said. “This way we can open and hopefully increase our sales, because we sure need that.”
Rebecca Safford of Tucson's Tap & Bottle said that plans were already in the works for opening their west-side beer garden, Westbound at the MSA Annex, which has outdoor seating and a host of nearby restaurant vendors that will satisfy the food component of the stipulation.
She plans to keep the bar area of her two locations of Tap & Bottle closed until the state enters its next phase of coronavirus reopening. So far she’s been able to keep the businesses going through takeout and delivery sales.
“Even if the (COVID-19) numbers are moderate, … people’s behavior seems to be a little more on board with following the rules and doing what they have to do to go out to a place,” she said. “I feel we can safely do Westbound, so that’s the one that we’re gonna focus on.”
Though Safford said she’s worried that the number of coronavirus infections rising now that University of Arizona students are back in town, she said there comes a point when business owners need to do what they need to do to survive.
“I get both sides. I understand why people wanna stay closed and I understand why other people might want to reopen,” she said. “Can we open safely in the best way possible and try to remain a business?”
Other counties in moderate status include Apache, Cochise, Coconino, La Paz, Maricopa, Navajo and Yavapai.
The infection rates in Greenlee County are so low that the Arizona Department of Health Services says they have achieved "minimal spread" status. That will give businesses there even more flexibility.
Pinal County did not make the cut as expected. Arizona Health Director Cara Christ said a new set of test results received late Wednesday kept it in the category of "substantial" risk of spread.
Christ acknowledged that test results from inmates are included in the county's tallies. But she doubted that these infections are what has kept the county from moving into the "moderate" category.
Dos and don'ts
It's not just bars in these nine counties that will again be allowed to operate, albeit in a scaled-back fashion.
Gyms and fitness centers can also reopen their doors to half of the normal capacity, with requirements for other restrictions. Ditto movie theaters, water parks and tubing operations.
But traditional bars and nightclubs won't be able to reopen as they used to operate until the county rate for positive tests comes back at 3%.
Still, there are options for bars that can reconfigure how they do business.
The list of dos and don'ts is extensive. And it goes beyond the ban on dancing, singing and games.
It starts when people arrive.
The state wants at least 10 square feet for each person in the waiting area, with anyone in the queue required to mask up. Overflow has to go outside, even to the point of would-be customers waiting in their cars.
Customers can choose between sitting at the bar or a table with the obligatory six-foot distance between parties. But once someone is seated, that's it — except to go to the bathroom. And that, in turn, requires putting a mask back on.
Salad bars and buffets where people can serve themselves are forbidden.
And customers are unlikely to find a bottle of ketchup on the table. It's not a gourmet thing. It's just that the health department wants single-service helpings, whether in packets or small bowls.
Even the experience of paying is likely to be altered, with staff required to wipe down any pens, touchpads or other hard surfaces between each use.
Gyms and fitness centers present a different set of hurdles. Here, too, it starts at the door with a requirement for customers to submit to temperature checks or at least be screened for COVID-19 symptoms.
They can operate only at 25% capacity except in Greenlee County where 50% is OK.
Masks are required at all times, along with physical distancing of at least six feet.
There can be classes for Pilates, Zumba and other fitness exercises. But expect to find markers on the floor to demonstrate where people can safely stand.
This reopening is round two for Desert Sports and Fitness, which welcomed back clients in May before Gov. Doug Ducey ordered such businesses closed again on June 29.
The gym, at 2480 N. Pantano Road, is opening Friday, Aug. 28, with every other piece of equipment closed to allow for social distancing, said Manager Kelly Shupe. Cleaning measures and signs have been added as well as extra sanitizing stations for cleaning equipment before and after each use.
On the entertainment front, movie theaters can fill up to half their seats — but only if they can do so by limiting groups to no more than 10, separating groups by at least six feet, and keeping every other row empty.
Customers should count on having to wear a mask other than while eating or drinking at a seat. And look for more time between shows to avoid crowds and allow better air circulation.
Water parks also can operate at 50% capacity, with distancing between deck chairs and other actions to keep participants apart.
Face masks on objects
A Jeep sports with eyes like those from the movie "Cars" sports a COVID19 mask outside Alpha Graphics near the corner of Tanque Verde and Kolb, Tucson, Ariz., July 3, 2020.
Face masks on objects
The large Tiki head at the entrance of The Hut, 305 N. 4th Ave., wears a mask in response to the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in Tucson, Ariz., on April 5, 2020.
Face masks on objects
The noted bull testicles on the statue outside Casa Molina at Speedway and Wilmot, usually painted in various schemes and wild colors, are in these CONVID19 times now sporting a face mask, March 27, 2020, Tucson, Ariz.
Face masks on objects
A dinosaur statue over the doors of MATS Dojo at 5929 E. 22nd St., sports an athletic cup for a face mask in the second week of COVID-19 restrictions, March 31, 2020, Tucson, Ariz.
Face masks on objects
The venerable T-Rex outside the McDonald's at Grant and Tanque Verde comes around late, but strong, to the mask game, May 13, 2020, Tucson, Ariz.
Face masks on objects
The iconic Casa Molina bull and matador statue both sported masks on the first full week of the loosening of COVID-19 restrictions in mid-May.
Face masks on objects
Father Kino's horse practice safe social interaction by wearing a mask even if Father Kino himself isn't. The statue sits at Cherry Fields at 15th Street and Kino Boulevard, Saturday, May 2, 2020, Tucson, Ariz.
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August 27, 2020 at 11:50PM
https://tucson.com/news/local/bars-gyms-theaters-can-reopen-in-pima-county-with-laundry-list-of-restrictions/article_61aff690-e883-11ea-859b-9701ca38c282.html
Bars, gyms, theaters can reopen in Pima County with laundry list of restrictions - Arizona Daily Star
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