By Howard Fischer | Capitol Media Services via Arizona Capitol Times
Come next Friday you’ll be able to go out and buy a new dress or suit.
But don’t count on being able to try it on.
Guidelines issued May 1 by the Arizona Department of Health Services recommend that retailers close fitting rooms. The way the agency sees it, these are “enclosed spaces … that do not allow for appropriate physical distancing.”
But no one from the agency could explain how a shopper going into a fitting room alone would be in danger of getting or spreading COVID-19.
The guidelines come two days after Gov. Doug Ducey agreed to relax his rules about what kinds of businesses are allowed to stay open.
Until now only those on the governor’s “essential” list could take customers. That included big-box retailers because they also sold “essential” items, from food and ammunition to toilet paper.
Effective Monday, all retailers can begin selling goods for curbside pickup or delivery. Then, they can actually open their doors to customers on May 8.
But the guidelines — they are not enforceable — suggest some restrictions.
Some are obvious, like maintaining physical distance, not only between customers and staff but also among customers.
