What’s Happening: Could we truly be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel?

Last week Governor Andy Beshear made some very exciting announcements regarding the re-opening of businesses and organizations in the Commonwealth as we continue to move toward getting life back to normal in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Among those announcements was a May 22 deadline for restaurants to open back up, but with a limited capacity. Of course, this means that an immediate return to packed houses won’t be possible, but if all goes well we could see people being able to go back INSIDE their favorite establishments in the very near future. Some is certainly better than none, and my fingers are crossed that there will be no major issues so that restaurant owners can get back to business as usual sooner rather than later.

Also opening back up in the coming weeks will be movie theaters and fitness centers on June 1. Personally, I am so ready to be able to go back to the movies, and I know that many of you will be thrilled to be able to get back into the routine of visiting your favorite gym.

I had actually made plans to visit the Tri-County Cineplex to watch Flashback Cinema’s presentation of the Dark Crystal just days before COVID-19 really began to break loose for us here in southeastern Kentucky. Unfortunately, the theater was just one of many local area businesses that was forced to temporarily close its doors due to the pandemic, so I am eagerly awaiting my chance to be able to return.

As for fitness centers, there have been no shortage of social media posts lately about how folks are adjusting to getting their workouts in at home.

In turn, there has also been no shortage of posts expressing a strong desire to get back into the gym as soon as possible. It sounds like those people will soon get their chance, once again, assuming everything goes to plan.

Continuing on, it appears that both public and private campgrounds will be able to open back up on June 11, meaning outdoor enthusiasts will finally be able to head back out to their favorite camping spots for some fun in the great outdoors. Campfires with friends and family will certainly be a welcome sight, assuming we can all stay at least six feet apart while making our s’mores.

June 15 is a big date that many have circled on their calendars after the announcement that childcare facilities will open back up with reduced capacity, and we also have the potential for some outdoor youth sporting events to return as well. These sports must be deemed “low touch,” meaning minimal physical contact, but hey, it has been so long since we’ve had sports of ANY sort, I’m sure fans and young athletes will take pretty much anything that they can get at this point.

Beyond June, the Governor said that we could see phase three of re-opening begin on July 1 with the return of bars and gatherings of up to 50 people, but a lot could happen between now and then, so it’s probably important that we not get ahead of ourselves.

Churches re-opening has been a big topic of conversation in recent days, and some of our local pastors have even addressed that very subject inside this week’s edition, so it’s good that we are at least in a position where we can begin talking about getting together in-person again, even if it requires us to wear a mask, or stand a certain distance away.

Also in this week’s edition, read the comments of a local nail tech and cosmetologist who are excited to have the doors of their salon re-opening on May 25, which is the target date for all cosmetology businesses, nail, hair and tanning salons, barbershops, massage therapy offices and tattoo parlors.

These developments have me feeling much more optimistic about things than I did a couple of weeks ago. I firmly believe that they, plus the recent increase in testing capacity in our community, means we are finally beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel.