California reopens outdoor hair, nail salons amid coronavirus pandemic
Some Califonia hair salon owners have been eager to reopen after being shut down for months amid the coronavirus pandemic, and now they have the green light to reopen with new rules enforced.
After initially being ordered to shut down again earlier this month, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Monday that salons could resume services if they are held outdoors.
The state's new guidelines for hair salons include cleaning and disinfecting protocols, providing temperature screenings for employees and customers as well as wearing masks and safe social distancing when possible.
Similar guidelines were also put in place for nail salons that open outdoors. These rules include asking manicurists to use hand sanitizer first, work at single stations and offer color palettes instead of nail polish.
Owners Chad and Grazia Brunochelli of Pasadena-based salon Passione explained to "Good Morning America" how much they loved their jobs and were willing to work anywhere.
The owners also mentioned that services will be limited. "If we do color highlights, the client has to go home and rinse it out so we prefer just right now to do haircuts and blow-dries."
While many are eager to get their post-quarantine cuts, experts warn that paying a visit to your salon still comes with potential risks.
"You still have people in close proximity to one another," Dr. John Brownstein told "GMA." "You have to physically be touching another human in order to perform these activities. So there is a potential for risk."
If you have prolonged contact with individuals over half an hour or an hour, the probability of a transmission event goes up, Brownstein said.
