San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond and the mayors of Vista, San Marcos, Oceanside, Escondido and Carlsbad are all calling for some businesses to reopen as soon as Friday.
The call comes while Governor Gavin Newsom is expected to discuss the next steps to reopening businesses and schools across the state.
Roby Vigilucci, owner of Vigilucci’s in Carlsbad, is savoring at the opportunity to reopen to dine-in customers.
“We would love to open up, even with restrictions. I have room, so 50% is better than nothing," he explained.
San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond thinks non-essential businesses should be able to open safely, just like essential businesses.
Oceanside Mayor Peter Weiss believes it’s time to kick-start the economy as quickly and safely as possible.
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When asked if it was a matter of putting fiscal health before physical health, Mayor Weiss said "I would say that if any business can implement the social distancing and sanitation protocols, then I don't think we're sacrificing physical health."
Opening up is ultimately up to Governor Newsom who has previously said six things need to happen in order to ease restrictions.
On Tuesday Newsom is expected to break down one of those things, which involves redrawing floor plans at businesses, schools and childcare facilities.
Business owners are ready, according to Supervisor Desmond. Some of them have taken his sandiegobacktowork.com pledge. It’s a list of applicable safety precautions owners vow to take to ensure the safety of employees and customers when they reopen. They include providing protective gear for employees and setting proper distancing barriers.
Among the list of business categories Supervisor Desmond would like to see open: restaurants, big box retailers with open space and salons.
But Jaiden Vigilucci , who owns Sweetwater Salon in Encinitas nextdoor to one of her husband’s three restaurants, disagrees with Desmond when it comes to her line of work.
“I don’t see how you can get that close to someone and be that safe," she said
Desmond says other salon owners believe it can be done.
“They would use every other chair, they would issue masks. They would take temperatures of people, their stylist would use gloves and they would disinfect and clean the chairs," he explained.
Newsom has said he hopes to make significant changes to the stay-at-home order within a number of weeks. Along with the redrawing of floor plans, the other indicators to modify the stay at home order includes testing, preventing infections and handling hospital surges.
