On Friday, May 8, after weeks of lockdown, hair and nail salons became one of the first classes of “nonessential” businesses to be able to return to work after a May 4 Executive Order from Governor Doug Ducey gave the go-ahead to come back, with an expectation of extra precautions to prevent spread of COVID-19.
“Effective Friday, May 8, 2020, barbers and cosmetologists … may resume operations provided they establish and implement protocols and best practices for businesses to address COVID-19, including use of face coverings for employees and customers, operating by appointment only and following protocols as directed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Labor Division of Occupational Safety and the Arizona Department of Health Services,” the May 4 executive order stated, in part.
For Verde Valley hair and nail salons opening back up after weeks of being shuttered, optimism about returning to business is tempered by concerns about safety.
“I’m hesitant. We work close to each other,” said Nancy Griggsby, the owner of Central Barbershop.
Griggsby wore a mask on Friday as she cut the hair of Geno Gonzales, one of her first customers, also wearing a mask.
“We wear masks in here,” Griggsby said. “It’s one person in here at a time. This used to be a walk-in shop, but no longer. We used to have a full waiting room. No longer.”
Despite the restrictions on who can get their hair cut and when, the pent-up demand of people going without haircuts has meant busy barber shops and salons in the early days, with appointments having to be set up in advance for increasingly limited slots.
“It’s been 10 weeks,” Gonzales said of his decision to get a hair cut, though he too expressed misgivings about being so close to someone and potentially spreading the disease. “You wear your hair a certain way and after a while you can’t wear it like that.”
Hair stylists point out that even as they work closely with their customers, they also are required to uphold stringent health restrictions even during normal times, keeping themselves, their workspaces and their tools clean in a way that adheres to public health guidelines on the coronavirus.
“We all know how to take care of ourselves,” said Maria Rea at Amazing Hair. “We probably sanitize more than anyone. We always did that anyway.”
The vibe at Amazing Hair was significantly more relaxed, with numerous employees cutting hair, and masks worn sporadically throughout the salon. Though the stylists said that they would refuse service to anyone with clear symptoms, they did not express much worry about their safety or their customers.
“People want to live and function, and go out to eat,” Rea said. “It’s the right time to reopen.”
Nail salons also opened on Friday, along with their own new set of precautions to deal with potential disease.
“We’re trying to be super cautious to keep our clients and us safe,” said Le Ho, owner of L&N Nails in Cottonwood. At the nearly empty but busy salon, employees and most customers were masked, though Ho said that he was not kicking out customers who refused to comply. “We’re doing it in a slower manner — for instance giving everyone an extra 30 minutes per appointment so there’s not people inside the store. We’re limiting our operations. We’re not allowed to have 10 people, even though our capacity is much more.”
Ho said that he was happy to have the salon back open, but that the sudden reopening update from the state government had left his business somewhat scrambling to get things back together quickly.
“Obviously, it’s going to pose a bit of a challenge,” Ho said. “Hopefully the coronavirus gets better and this is not the new normal.”
“I have anxiety. Am I doing the right thing?” Griggsby asked. “In a couple of weeks, if the numbers start spiking, I have no problem shutting the door. I will.”
