Nail salons, body waxing salons, and tattoo parlors can open soon in California, but in Fresno County, they’ll have to wait two weeks.
“That will be in line with the opening of family entertainment centers, and movie theaters towards the end of this month. It will give our team and our environmental health experts more time to work with these industries to make sure they have safe practices and good information and resources in place.” — Dr. Rais Vohra, interim health officer, Fresno County
Late Thursday night, the state issued this guidance to county health directors: “Counties that are approved to progress further into the Resilience Roadmap can decide to open the following industries but are strongly encouraged to wait until June 19, 2020: Personal services, like nail salons, body waxing, and tattoo parlors.”
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Fresno County: June 26 Opening
In a Friday morning Zoom call with reporters, interim Fresno County health officer Dr. Rais Vohra laid out his reasons for waiting until June 26.
“That will be in line with the opening of family entertainment centers, and movie theaters towards the end of this month,” Vohra said. “It will give our team and our environmental health experts more time to work with these industries to make sure they have safe practices and good information and resources in place.”
Nail Salons Plead to Governor Newsom
Stylists have shown up at county board meetings, pleading for officials to let them go to work so they can earn a living without making house calls that violate the rules.
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This week, an association of salons and barber shops said it would sue to try to force Newsom to let them reopen sooner, arguing they already undergo extensive training on sanitation and are licensed by the state.
Newsom said on May 5 that 33 salons that had illegally opened shut down after state officials called them. He said salons are in the next phase of the state’s reopening plan, which “may not be more than a month away.”
His comments came a day after he said California’s first case of community transmission of the virus was tied to a nail salon, which raised red flags for health officials about when the sector should reopen. Those remarks drew a backlash from the beauty industry and leaders in the Vietnamese American community, who own the vast majority of nail salons in the state.
Salon Defiance
Some salons have already opened in defiance of Newsom’s order.
Shortly after one opened Wednesday inside Yuba Sutter Mall in northern California, a line stretched out of the shop. Many customers were not wearing masks.
The mall’s general manager asked the salon to move to an appointment-only operation to limit the number of people standing in line.
(The Associated Press contributed to this story.)
karen gonzales
June 12, 2020 at 5:45 pm
why r millions of people allowed to protest all close together majority not wearing masks spreading the virus as carriers or being sick yet there r still businesses closed down especially nails salons getting the most slack. it is unfair & disgusting that they carry on doing this & the numbers will get so high cuz of them we will probably have to close down again. everyone is so scarred of the protestors & do what they want. this country is biased & governors r not doing their jobs or giving them what they want.
Pat
June 15, 2020 at 8:58 am
This is outrageous, to say the least!! We are not children who have to be told when and where we can do things. We are responsible adults who can make our own decisions! Putting people out of business just so that a few in high places can flex their power, is absolutely un-American!! Open up our state…………NOW!!!