UPDATE: Governor Pete Ricketts issued a directed health measure aimed at all 93 Nebraska counties on Friday night.
In Nebraska there are currently no state-wide directed health measures in place. Otoe County is just 45 minutes south of Omaha and to the east of Lincoln and is one of the counties in the state where there are no directive health measures in place.
“We have to survive,” said Tammy Woods, the owner of Curl Up and Dye Salon in Nebraska City. “I don’t want to see my stylists or myself not be able to pay their bills or take care of their families.”
With no directed health measures in place, the salon is still allowed to be open. Since there are only guidelines in place, businesses are not required to have limits on guests but Woods decided to only allow ten people in her store at a time to keep her guests and stay safe and is having staff clean all of their supplies after each use. For Woods, she faced a decision on whether to close the store early and leave herself and employees out of making extra money or keeping the store open until being forced to do so. She said she would like to close for safety reasons but decided to pick the latter.
“Until it’s mandated we’ll work through it in fear of what we’re exposed to,” Woods said.
For stylist Kelsey Neeman, she said needs the income, but knows she’s putting her daughter at risk each time she comes to work.
“I could potentially get her sick by coming home and getting in contact with people,” Neeman said. “I have to take my daughter to day care which I don’t want to do and anything could happen at the day care.”
The salon has also seen an increase of patrons coming from outside Nebraska City. With salons across Omaha, Lincoln and the region closed, this location has seen guests from as far away as Kansas City come up for a hair cut. It’s not only people from Nebraska City coming here.
“We have people from other counties and other states to get their hair done,” said Shady Hollesen, a stylist.
Woods said she worries about the guests coming from out of the area to see her in Otoe County.
“It scares us that they could be bringing it to us,” Woods said.
“We encourage folks to visit all the time just not right now if you’re coming from a community that had a community spread case,” said Bryan Bequette, Nebraska City’s mayor. He said the city’s health department district has only two cases so far, none of which are community spread.
Bequette said if businesses aren’t following the guidelines currently in place than the city will publish its own directive. He said he hopes the stimulus package will give small business owners the freedom to close their stores without going unemployed.
“What that means to our businesses is allowing them to work if they can maintain CDC guidelines,” Bequette said.
However, at Curl Up and Dry, it’s almost impossible to follow the CDC guidelines due to the nature of the stylist’s profession.
“We can’t follow any of our guidelines followed by the government,” Hollesen said as she was placing foil on a client’s hair.
The staff said staying open has been a balancing act between making income but also keeping the community safe.
“I just wish there was a way for us to close,” Neeman said.
“You’re starting to get a lot of criticism where people are shaming us for being open,” Woods said. “We all have families, we all have bills. At the same time you want everyone to be healthy and safe.”
Watch reporter Phil Bergman’s story in the above video.