"I'm 44," Demond Wilkinson said. "I'm kind of in that (age bracket), so it's just not worth the risk."

He knows some customers won't self-report to him that they may have the virus, if they know at all, so he doesn't want to unnecessarily expose himself or others, he said.

"We won't even take house calls," he said of their plans going forward.

He consulted with other barbers in his area of town, and each decided to close, Wilkinson said.

Amen and Wilkinson both plan to rely on savings to pay bills in the next six weeks, each said in an interview.

Amen's appointment book had seven cuts scheduled for Thursday, one Friday and one Saturday, and he expected news of the mayor's order to prompt some urgent Wednesday night cuts for those clients, he said.

Six weeks of sitting at home will suck, said Amen, who will mark his 13th year as a barber in May.

Gaylor Baird respects all of the sacrifice involved in life amid restrictions.

"This is a time of challenges for us, but it won't last forever," the mayor said. "We will get through this together."

Reach the writer at 402-473-2657 or rjohnson@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSRileyJohnson.

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