SAN FRANCISCO—On Tuesday, May 26, the Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, announced in a press conference that hair salons and barbershops will be allowed to reopen their doors with these guidelines in place.
Some of these guidelines include establishing written, worksite specific COVID-19 prevention plans; providing employees with personal protective equipment, also known as PPE; enforcing social distancing by staggering appointments; leaving doors open whenever possible; and minimizing customer-employee exposure by using barriers at reception desks.
This is all part of the plan to eventually reopen the state of California’s economy, of which there are four distinct stages. Stage one focused on preparing the state for a potential surge in COVID-19 cases and following the stay-at-home order. In stage two, lower-risk workplaces began gradually reopening, such as retail stores, manufacturing, certain offices, and outdoor museums. Stage three will include the reopening of higher-risk workplaces. Stage four, the final stage, will conclude the stay-at-home order.
Governor Newsom’s announcement marks the beginning of stage three for most of the state, including the reopening of hair salons and barbershops, while some parts of California are still in stage two. Reopening is determined by county, and in order to get approved for reopening, counties must meet certain requirements.
These requirements include but are not limited to a COVID-19 positive testing rate of less than eight percent, access to PPE for essential employees, and local hospitals must be equipped to handle a surge of COVID-19 cases. As of Monday, May 25, 47 counties out of 58 total counties in California have been approved to reopen.
