SACRAMENTO – (INT) - The California Department of Public Health announced Tuesday that counties that have attested to meeting the criteria for accelerated re-opening including Riverside, San Bernardino and Orange counties may re-open hair salons and barbershops with modifications such as mandatory face coverings for both barbers or stylists and clients.

State public health leaders noted that Californians staying at home and exercising caution when out helped flatten the COVID-19 curve. Public health leaders acknowledge that today's announcement is also based on indicators involving PPE, testing capacity, hospital surge capacity and hospitalizations.

Permitted activities include services that can be provided with both the worker and customer wearing face coverings throughout the service. Those include haircuts, hair coloring, blowouts, weaves and extensions, braiding, lock maintenance, wig maintenance and hair relaxing treatments.

Salon activities that cannot be done with face coverings on both the worker and client – or that require touching the client's face – such as shaving, facial waxing, threading, eyelash services and facials – remain prohibited at this time in all counties. Likewise, nail salons remain closed.

Story Date: June 7, 2020