thomas is a richard barber who is all for the closure.e says business was so busy, he was fearful for his safety. >> i was about to slower my clientele because i got so busy after i opened up, but with the numbers going up, i got nervous. >> reporter: all the talk here is about outdoor dining, which was open for several weeks but closed this past friday night. the county is applying for a variance that would reopen outdoor dining, but that request is now being made with the county on the watch list. >> at this point, it's a waiting game. >> reporter: and a waiting game for those that still don't understand why they're not labeled as an essential business. >> i think it's pretty essential, you know? we have taken all the protocols. we're safer than most stores than you go in. so i don't quite get it. >> reporter: many counties already have a variance in place, that is something that alameda county is now trying to get. many employees that i spoke with, though, still confused on why the county didn't try to get this several weeks ago. j.r.

thomas is a richard barber who is all for the closure.e says business was so busy, he was fearful for his safety. >> i was about to slower my clientele because i got so busy after i opened up, but with the numbers going up, i got nervous. >> reporter: all the talk here is about outdoor dining, which was open for several weeks but closed this past friday night. the county is applying for a variance that would reopen outdoor dining, but that request is now being made with the county on the watch list. >> at this point, it's a waiting game. >> reporter: and a waiting game for those that still don't understand why they're not labeled as an essential business. >> i think it's pretty essential, you know? we have taken all the protocols. we're safer than most stores than you go in. so i don't quite get it. >> reporter: many counties already have a variance in place, that is something that alameda county is now trying to get. many employees that i spoke with, though, still confused on why the county didn't try to get this several weeks ago. j.r.

richard westcott, bbc news, royal papworth hospital in cambridge. many of us have resorted to diy hair cuts since lockdown began but as of tomorrow, salons and barbersdnesday 15th july. but it won't be a hair cut as you know it — with new rules in place around disinfecting equipment and wearing ppe. jayne mccubbin has been speaking to people in liverpool. after three months, cut—throat pete is getting ready to reopen and he's very happy about that. but very little here will be as it was before. for starters, fewer customers are allowed in at any one time. and when they do come in for a cut, hand sanitiser is compulsory here, as are facemasks for clients. many, but not all, salons and barbers are insisting on that. government guidelines only mandate visors are worn by staff. prices have gone up 8% to cover the cost of ppe. and extra time built in or around appointments to wash down each chair and client station. and one last change — those beards men have cultivated over the last five years, like this on barber matt, well, they are going to have to go uncultivated for a little while longer, because shaves are out. matt, no more beard trims! yeah, unf

ellison barber, nbc news, west columbia, south carolina >>> as the outbreak soars in the u.s., europe, which has essentially banned american travelers, is returning to a semblance of normalcy. richard engel on what europe did right and what the u.s. can learn from it. >> reporter: the u.s. is hitting record covid cases. europe is getting back to business. despite a few targeted closures in hotspots, europe appears to be over its first wave. the united states clearly is not the numbers tell the story. this graph shows how europe and the u.s. both faced an initial surge in coronavirus cases. but then europe crushed the curve, to where it's now well below the u.s. and stable, while the u.s. vacillated, lost time, and eventually flattened the curve, only to see cases skyrocket in june. but why? while each country in europe had slightly different experiences, generally europe stuck to a script. covid policies were national, not up to local discretion the science was never politic politicized. mask-wearing was widely accepted, not seen as an affront closures were enacted quickly and lifted slowly >> we're looking at a number of countries in the world, brazil, the united states, india, ru