Area community representatives are pleased with the governor’s latest order allowing nearly all nonessential retail stores to reopen with limits. Under the order most nonessential retail stores can reopen as long as they serve no more than five customers at a time. Downtown Fond du Lac Partnership director Amy Hansen says it’s really good news for downtown Fond du Lac businesses. “It’s really good news coming out of the governor’s office,” Hansen told WFDL news. “…big, big news for our downtown. Obviously we have a lot of small businesses which this affects.” Hansen says now it’s up to the businesses to assure customers that it’s safe to shop in their stores. “There are a lot of things. The cleanliness, the marking of spaces on your floor, wearing of masks. Those are all things that are not necessarily mandatory, but we are going to strongly encourage these types of efforts from all of our Fond du Lac County businesses,” Hansen said. At the same time Hansen says there has to be company policies in place that put employees at ease that they are not put in a situation that is dangerous for them, if a customer with COVID-19 symptoms enters the store for example. “To empower their associates to be able to say if they’re on their own, the business owner is not there, they have to feel the ability to say yes I need to tell this person who just walked into the door, I have to ask you to leave.” Hansen says although the order went into effect immediately most businesses she has talked to probably won’t be ready to reopen until next week. Waupun city administrator Kathy Schlieve admits she was surprised the governor issued the order, two weeks before the Safer at Home order is set to expire. Schlieve says the city is ready to help businesses make sure that they are prepared to reopen.
