'A Spike': Some Concerned About 2nd Coronavirus Wave As Allegheny County Businesses Plan To Reopen
MONROEVILLE, Pa. (KDKA) -- Like waiting anxiously for a stoplight to change, businesses are waiting to move to the "yellow" phase of Pennsylvania's coronavirus reopening plan.
At the ACS Hobbie Shop in Monroeville, the vacuum cleaners were going, shelves were being set up and safety measures were being put in place as they prepare to reopen on Friday.
"As long as I can start paying the rent, I'll be happy," said owner Tony Sciscent.
Sciscent says a good holiday season helped get them through until now, but he's anxious for the customers to return.
"With the phone calls we've had over the last six or so weeks, people are anxious to get their hobbies and have fun," Sciscent said.
Customers coming and going from Sam's Club on Monday expressed mixed emotions about the lifting of the stay-at-home order on Friday.
"I'm worried that there will be a second wave if we go back too quickly," Kelsey Kennedy. "So I know I'm just going to keep going to the grocery store and that's about it."
Christina Gandy of Penn Hills is concerned that not everyone will continue to wear masks and take the other mitigating steps that have helped in the fight against coronavirus.
"I think there is going to be a spike, maybe a month from now, and then it will fall back off again," Gandy said.
But Stacey Stowers of North Versailles says opening up is overdue.
"I think interaction is necessary because people have been isolated too long. And when you're in isolation too long, you can become depressed."
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Her friend and neighbor, Kim Spencer, agrees.
"We need to get more contact and come together and we need more prayer," Spencer said.
Prayer with his fellow believers is what Mohammad Iqbal misses most.
"We can't go mosque, we can't go pray," Iqbal said.
Bruno Manno misses his church, too. With churches sidelined by the guidelines well beyond the Friday reopening, Manno says it leaves a void in his life.
As for the virus?
"I'm not really concerned at all. I believe in God. If it's my time to go and I catch something and I'm gonna die, that's my time," Manno said.
While the "yellow" phase lifts the stay-at-home order and allows people to shop again.
But shoppers will be in masks and socially distanced.
Places like churches, theatres, malls and sitting in your favorite restaurant will have to wait for the "green" phase.
More information on the Coronavirus pandemic:
