LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Say goodbye to those closed signs, and hello again to your favorite stores. Retail is back open in the Bluegrass.
"The stores and retailers are working to show that we have got safe shopping environments for people to come out to," said Steve McClain, the Director of Communications and Public Affairs with the Kentucky Retail Federation.
The Kentucky Retail Federation is the group who proposed new guidelines to the governor's office that are expected to be included as new safety measures at stores around the state.
"The cleaning regiments, the sanitizing stations, they'll have that. They'll have the PPE on their employees," McClain said.
With these new steps, McClain says patience is going to be key. There will be more instances than usual where shoppers have to wait in line to enter the store, or pay for merchandise.
Governor Andy Beshear says that's a good start but it's too early to tell when restrictions will ease up.
"Reports back seem pretty good. People are really working and trying really hard and being really thoughtful about how they do it," Beshear said. "We're going to want to see at least two weeks of data, and remember it's not two weeks on the button."
Both the governor and Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer say the precautions and mask wearing seen today, are the first steps.
"Hopefully it's a good sign too of people saying that just because they can go out to retail doesn't mean they are not going to social distance or wear a face mask, because those are the kind of things that are going to make reopening easy," Fischer said.
While malls struggle with only a certain amount of stores opening, local boutiques may be having a hard time with capacity. McClain says those neighborhood shops have always supported the community, and now they need your support more than ever.
"They support the schools, they support your little league teams in the summer," McClain said.
If you're not yet comfortable leaving the confines of your own home, don't worry. There is still a way you can help support your favorite local businesses. Many of the local shops have started ways to purchase online or do pick up. Check out their social media pages for the latest information. You can also head to the Love Local section of our website for additional information.
The Kentucky Retail Federation has guidelines posted and helpful information on their website here.
►Contact reporter Jessie Cohen at JCohen@whas11.com and follow her on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.