Johnson-Gage and his colleagues were set to move forward with reopening today — and had even ordered a non-contact thermometer to take people's temperatures upon entry. But late last night, he says, they got cold feet. "We have been getting so many mixed signals and information from all branches of government," he says. "We just feel it isn't safe enough." Johnson-Gage says his clients responded well. "Quite a few said they were actually thinking about canceling," he says. "Others figured we wouldn't end up opening with how confusing and unclear everything is right now."

It's been a tough week for Johnson-Gage and his community, but he knows he made the right call. "Once I decided not to open, it was a huge relief," he says. The final straw, he explains, was the idea of trying to get ahold of personal protective equipment (PPE) that they would need to wear should they reopen. "The state board wants us to wear PPE, but our own health-care workers can't even get those supplies," he says, noting that through his wide community of hair pros in Atlanta, not one ended up opening today to his knowledge.