JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As more businesses get ready to reopen in Jacksonville, some owners said they are having trouble finding supplies they need to open safely, such as hand sanitizer, masks and gloves.
“Everybody’s backordered,” said Tina Phillips, owner of Awesome New Beginnings, a day care. “So, us getting ready to reopen again, that’s a problem."
Phillips said cleaning is always a top priority at her child care center and that they are very diligent about hand washing and sanitizing classrooms. However, due to the pandemic, she said it’s been hard to find some of the cleaning supplies and safety gear they need.
“It’s very frustrating and it’s scary,” Phillips said. “I will have to close if I can’t find gloves.”
Right now, the child care center is open for children of essential workers and they are planning to welcome more students back in the next few weeks.
Meanwhile, some salon owners that are still waiting for the green light to reopen are also facing the same problem as they plan for welcoming clients back.
“It’s about the supply chain,” said Rona Bunch, a salon owner. “We go online, we search for hours and hours at a time trying to find masks. We have our reusable masks, but it’s making sure we have the disposable masks that we need.”
Bunch said some of the items she’s tried to order are out of stock.
“The main thing is making sure that we have the things that we need to make sure that our clients feel safe when they come into the salon,” said Bunch.
Last Saturday, Gov. DeSantis met with the owners of Florida barbershops and salons to discuss reopening. No plans have yet been announced.