CHEYENNE– Governor Mark Gordon announced modified public health orders on Tuesday, which have allowed businesses such as hair and nail salons, gyms, tattoo shops, and massage therapy services to open in limited capacity under a few conditions starting May 1.

According to Dr. Alexia Harrist, State Public Health Officer, the restrictions for these businesses are being modified as they believe these businesses are better equipped to limit the number of clients in the establishment at one time than businesses such as restaurants, bars, and theaters.

Social distancing will still remain a priority, as no more than nine people will be allowed within a room together at once, and people are to maintain six feet of distance between one another.

These regulations are to be enforced by the business owners and staff.

Governor Gordon said the rate of infection in Wyoming is about four to five percent. Dr. Harrist said the goal is to keep this rate low, and therefore they must take one step at a time when loosening restrictions.

Modified Restrictions for Personal Care Services and Gyms

The modified restrictions extend to nail salons, hair salons, barber shops, cosmetology, electrology, esthetic services, massage therapy, and tattoo, body, and piercing shops.

The updated restrictions are as follows:

• At no time shall more than nine people be present in a room or confined space.
• Patrons may only be served at stations that are at least six feet apart from other stations serving patrons.
• Staff must be screened at the beginning of their shift for symptoms of illness or exposure to a person with COVID-19 infection within the previous 14 days; staff with symptoms of illness or known exposure to a person with COVID-19 infection within the previous 14 days shall not be allowed to work.
• All patrons must wear face coverings as much as possible when receiving service.
• All staff must wear face coverings.
• Service may be provided by appointment only.
• The facility must maintain adequate records of its patrons, including names and telephone numbers, for purposes of COVID-19 tracing in the event contact tracing is necessary.
• The facility must maintain adequate records of its staff, for purposes of COVID-19 tracing in the event contact tracing is necessary.
• No patron shall remain in a waiting area prior to receiving services.
• Cleaning and sanitizing must be complete after each patron is served, including hand washing and surface santitation.

Gyms will also be allowed to reopen in limited capacity under the following conditions:

• Staff of the facility must wear face coverings at all times.
• Staff must be screened at the beginning of their shift for symptoms of illness, and staff must be screened for exposure to a person with COVID-19 infection during the previous 14 days.
• Staff with symptoms of illness, or known exposure to a person with COVID-19 infection within the previous 14 days, shall not be allowed to work.
• The facility must maintain a record of customer usage, by date and time, and a record of staff working hours, by date and time, for purposes of COVID-19 tracing in the event contact tracing is necessary. If this record keeping is done manually, sanitizing measures must be taken on the instruments used for record keeping in between use.
• Close-contact activities are prohibited, including but not limited to one-to-one personal training, close-contact sports, weight lifting requiring “spotters”, and any other close-contact activities.
• Locker rooms must remain closed, except for restrooms.
• Workout equipment must be no less than six feet apart.
• Workout equipment must be cleaned by staff in between each patron use.
• Handwashing stations or hand sanitizer must be readily available for all patrons.
• No more than nine people are allowed to be in a given room or section at any given time.
• Group workout classes are prohibited.
• Overall number of patrons in the entire facility must not exceed one person per 120 square feet and patrons must maintain physical distancing during their workout.
• Swimming pools must be limited to one swimmer per lane.
• Spas and saunas must remain closed.

Counties may work with county health officials and the Wyoming Department of Health for variances to make restrictions for these facilities less or more strict.

The full video of the governor’s press conference can be found below.