Salons, nail bars back in business

It’s goodbye to bad hair days as salons and many other personal beauty services are now free to operate, under strict conditions.

The Minister of Small Business Development, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, has given the green light for formal and informal salons to open under strict conditions after closing their doors since March due to lockdown.

The Minister gazetted guidelines on Friday following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement that many industries would now reopen under level 3.

According to Ntshavheni, services deemed safe to resume operations with immediate effect include hairdressing, barbering, nail and toe treatment, facial treatment and make-up, body massage, tattooing and body piercing.

“All personal care businesses, which are allowed to operate, will adhere to the following basic principles applicable to all salons: hand washing, social distancing between customers and staff wherever possible, the use of cloth masks at all times, and more protective masks for close facial contact, and cleaning and disinfecting of touch areas and equipment,” she said.

Ntshavheni also encouraged contactless payment where possible.

Meanwhile, employees should be equipped with personal protective equipment (PPE), including visors, while stylists should wear facemasks at all times,” said the Minister, adding that PPE must be cleaned after serving each customer.

“No customer will be served without wearing a mask. Aprons must be changed after serving each customer and reuse can only be done after the apron has been washed with water and soap. Where gloves are required for treatments, they should be changed after each client and should not be shared under any conditions.”

Ntshavheni urged businesses to work by appointment to avoid long queues, while queuing customers must maintain social distancing.

“Employees and owners above the age of 60 or with comorbidities must be discouraged from working,” the Minister said.

Also, any owner, worker or customer, who has flu-like symptoms, should be barred from the premises.

A register must be kept of customers and persons who enter the salon on each day for traceability.

Meanwhile, the provision of all snacks and drinks is prohibited, as beverage and food amenities for customers is suspended.

All bottled products must be wiped down with a 70% alcohol solution after serving each customer, and fresh and clean towels must be used for each customer.

With regards to standard operating procedures for informal tattooing body piercing studios, owners must only admit to the premises customers who are to receive treatment.

“Needles, razors and [other equipment] must be provided for each work area,” the Minister said, adding that no face and neck treatments allowed.

In the President’s address last week, he acknowledged that the disease and the measures taken to fight it have caused a massive disruption in the lives of the people, bringing the economy to a standstill and threatening the livelihoods of millions.

Therefore, he said, through the easing of the lockdown, government continues to balance the overriding objective of saving lives and preserving livelihoods.

For more on the gazetted guidelines, go to https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/202006/43459rg11135gon696.pdf.