Long Island moves into Phase Two

Long Islanders began taking the next steps to a full reopening of the economy and something approaching life as it was before the coronavirus pandemic with state-mandated Phase Two measures on Wednesday.

For many people, that meant getting their hair cut. Barbershops and beauty salons had been closed since March 22. Ali Artz, the owner of Ambiance Salon in Hewlett, said she was eager to get back to work. “I’m excited to reopen and see my clients,” Artz said, adding that she had lost a quarter of the year’s revenue because of the closure.

To limit the number of people in the salon, appointments will be required, some services will be limited to certain days, and the salon will work on a split schedule from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Artz added four stations to the lower level of her store to accommodate social distancing guidelines, which call for the use of only 50 percent of a business’s capacity. Customers will call the salon when they arrive, and remain outside until they are allowed in.

“The phone is ringing off the hook,” Artz said, noting that while she tries to recoup lost revenue, there are added costs during the reopening: Businesses must provide personal protective gear such as gloves and masks to employees as well as the ubiquitous hand sanitizer.

Nassau County and the Town of Hempstead are expanding a free PPE program for small businesses. The town an-nounced on Monday that it would give $2 million of federal funding to the county’s Boost Nassau PPE giveaway program for 4,000 kits.

Last week, the county kick-started the program with support from the Local Economic Assistance Corporation and the Nassau County Industrial Development Agency, giving out nearly 1,000 kits. Each contains a no-contact digital forehead thermometer, five face shields, 400 masks, 100 pairs of gloves, 1,800 sanitary wipes and two gallons of hand sanitizer.

The program is intended for businesses and nonprofits with fewer than 20 employees, minority- and women-owned businesses, and businesses in economically distressed communities. To apply, go to www.boostnassau.net

In the interest of remaining a viable business, Sox World Plus, in Cedarhurst, had a website built and increased its use of social media, including Facebook and Instagram.

Email blasts helped generate sales, and the store offered curbside pickup, said owner Chuck Canino. Sox World Plus sells hosiery, loungewear, hats, dresses and shells for women, men, girls and boys.

“Starting Wed-nesday, our register area will have a Plexiglas guard, and we’ll follow [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] guidelines, where everybody wears a mask who enters the store, and limit the number of customers,” Canino said. “We’re excited to be opening, to provide our excellent customer service for them to enjoy a pleasant shopping experience.”

Central Galleries owner Jeff Beja has been in contact with longtime customers of his high-end custom framing business in Cedarhurst, some through FaceTime. “We’re going to be very cautious,” he said of the shop’s reopening, adding that since last week it had been open from Sunday to Friday from noon to 4 p.m. for delivery and pickup.

Beginning June 10, Beja said, “We’ll have three different options,” for customers. Plexiglas will now separate customers and staff if they chose to enter the store, stanchions and arrows on the floor will help guide people through the store, and curbside pickup will continue. “Whatever level they feel comfortable with, we will accommodate,” he said.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo also announced that houses of worship may operate at 25 percent capacity as part of the Phase Two reopening. Rabbi Claudio Kupchik of Temple Beth El, in Cedarhurst, said his congregation would discuss reopening in the near future.

“We need to see if there will be a spike of infections after the still-ongoing protests, and to take into consideration that many of our members are vulnerable because of age,” Kupchik said, adding that a percentage of capacity is a more logical guideline than a fixed number of congregants, because of synagogues’ and churches’ varying sizes.

“It’s an indicator pointing in the right direction in terms of the spread of the virus,” he said, “but it’s unclear yet what will be the practical implications for us in the immediate future.”

Cedarhurst’s parking meters will be back in operation on Monday. And as of press time, six restaurants in the village had applied for temporary outdoor permits aimed at stimulating business as the economy restarts.