Adjusting lives and finding new ways to succeed is the motto of the and crazy 2020. People all over the world were forced to stop their everyday lives, quarantine inside, and attempt to stay healthy, all due to COVID-19. What many are wondering is how the world will return to the lives they know. 

On March 11, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a pandemic, and two days later a national emergency was declared in the United States. The threat of the pandemic escalated, numbers rising by the thousands in the first few weeks. As Chicago moved through the stages, waiting for the to return to “normal” or just hoping that is truly possible, more spaces have opened. 

Most of Illinois entered phase three of the state’s reopening plan on May 29, sparking the reopening of many businesses with capacity limitations and social distancing. Illinois moved into phase four as the coronavirus cases declined, but the numbers are now on an upward rise. Larger gatherings are permitted, as well as outdoor recreation, education, businesses, and more. Arriving at this stage, people have started to feel their old lives coming back, but in some ways that isn’t the best. With the reopening and feeling of freedom from quarantine, the case numbers are rising.

PS Nails, a salon on Clark Street, is now open for nail appointments following social distancing guidelines, keeping their small business up and running. The nail salon was closed from March 20 to May 30, and after being closed for a little over three months, they reopened as soon as possible. 

When clients arrive, their temperature is taken immediately and hand sanitizer is applied. They can do three  manicures at once, when in the past they could do around eight. Though this may seem like a drop in clients, it isn’t the biggest problem. The biggest set back for PS Nails, and most nail salons, is fear. “Some of my most common clients haven’t come in since before the end of March,” Hang, the manager of the salon said. “That is easily because getting a fresh manicure isn’t the most important task to many civilians through a pandemic.” 

At the hair salon, Salon 1800, a stylist has a lot of the same feedback. “It’s especially hard because these are hands-on jobs, seeing multiple people per day, and you really can’t social distance,” hair stylist Sarah Balcaitis said. 

Richard, Bryan, the founder and owner of Balance Health and Wellness, a chiropractic and healthcare practice,, had a different experience. “I have an essential business, so I was not as severely impacted as a non-essential business. That being said, less clients were coming in just due to basic social distancing.” Fortunately for Bryan, the government was working to support companies that were deemed essential. This was to ensure that they stayed in business even while losing clients. Bryan’s experience has seen improvement from the worse times, but business is nothing like before mid March. 

The change in businesses will be hard to overcome for much of the world, working to balance health safety and returning to the world’s norm. Small businesses, like PS Nails, are delighted to be back open and taking clients, but the reopening has only made virus cases rise. Businesses like Balance Health and Wellness were thankful to be considered essential, but still then struggled and are struggling, as people are taking precaution of the virus, especially considering the case numbers growth. This is causing many Chicagoans to be afraid that the progress made, could reverse. That being said, people are hoping for a bright and healthy future, as soon as possible.