HOLTS SUMMIT - A small group of business owners gathered Wednesday in the Holts Summit Municipal Center to discuss plans for reopening.
During the meeting, Mylene Dunn, of the Callaway County Health Department, helped local businesses understand how the reopening process will work. The COVID-19 stay-at-home order for Missouri is set to expire soon - the first phase of reopening will begin Monday.
Representatives from chains and small businesses alike, such as McDonald's, Casey's General Store, Embroidery Plus, Debo Funeral Home and Doc N Ray's, attended.
"Thank you - thank you for all your efforts," Dunn said. "I know it's been hard on a lot of people."
Beginning Monday, businesses will be allowed to open, so long as they limit the number of individuals inside at any one time.
"We are letting you open up with the criteria that you have to tell us how many square feet your area is," Dunn said.
Businesses less than 10,000 square foot in size are allowed up to 25 percent of their authorized fire or building code occupancy. Larger buildings are only allowed up to 10 percent of their occupancy. If possible, individuals should still stay 6 feet apart.
If new COVID-19 cases continue to fall, the number of individuals allowed inside will increase.
"If we continue to fall like we're falling, I expect to see in three weeks for him (Gov. Mike Parson) to go up to 50 percent occupancy and maybe even 75 depending what we see," Dunn said.
With the basics out of the way, the business representatives wanted to know whether the county was requiring anything different than the state - it isn't.
"Are you suggesting that we hand out masks?" Melody Craighead, of Debo Funeral Home, asked.
Dunn explained though the state isn't requiring masks, they are recommended.
"I'm having a hard time finding them," Craighead said.
Around the room, others nodded in agreement, explaining their own difficulties obtaining gear like masks and cleaning supplies.
"Everybody asked for supplies from the health department - masks, things like that," Dunn said. "We don't have any either."
In addition to in-person meetings, the county health department has also released a series of videos tailored to specific businesses and organizations such as restaurants, schools, barbers and hairstylists, long-term care and retail establishments.
"COVID-19 has not gone away," the health department's Kent Wood says in a video to restaurants. "A low risk doesn't mean no risk."
The Holts Summit businesses are looking forward to reopening, though nerves about an uncertain future abound. From their chairs carefully spaced out around the room, attendees commiserated on the difficulties of a world kept distant.
"How do you keep people from talking and visiting and hugging and shaking hands?" Dunn asked. "I mean, it's just ingrained in us to do that, and that's who we are."
Almost everyone spoke up, sharing brief stories of almost-handshakes and the instinctual urge to reach out to others.
"It's hard: Once a hugger, always a hugger," Craighead said.