coronavirus

Hair Stylists, Barbers Petition Governor to Include Them in Initial Reopening of Businesses

NBCUniversal, Inc.

Earlier this week Gov. Gavin Newsom outlined some of the precautions certain businesses would have to take when the state begins to ease stay at home orders – and a petition is circulating online asking Newsom to include hair salons and barber shops as part of that first wave of reopenings.

Hair stylist Courtney Gupta launched her moveon.org petition to Newsom Thursday morning and it already has more than 34,000 signatures. She proposed that salons and shops that do open take several precautions.

“What I’m suggesting is masks on both operators and clients,” Gupta said. “Gloves, temperature checks at the door. No one coming in, operator or client, who has been sick in the last two days.”

Gupta said customers would have to be seen by appointment only and salons would have to limit the number of people they allow in.

Ernesto Peralta is a San Francisco-based stylist who signed the petition. He’s eager to get back to work and he agrees with all the suggested precautions – but there are some services he said he will probably not provide.

“So beards, those I’m going to be holding off for a little bit,” Peralta said. “Anything that involves working around, you know, close to the face or anywhere near the eyes or the nose – anybody breathing on you.”

So far, the governor’s office and local authorities have not made any final decisions on the types of businesses to be included in a soft reopening.

Bay Area stay at home orders will remain in place until at least May 3.

Contact Us