Pasadena Hair Salons, Barber Shops Can Reopen Indoors

Good news, your favorite barbershop and beauty salon can resume clipping and snipping indoors.

Effective Wednesday, indoor operations at hair salons and barbershops could resume at 25% capacity in accordance with the Public Health Reopening Protocol, according to Public Information Officer Lisa Derderian.

“Hair salons and barbershops are still encouraged to provide outdoor services as much as possible because current scientific evidence appears to indicate a lower risk of COVID-19 transmission outdoors.”

Barbershops and hair salons protocols include these requirements:

• Physical distancing measures must be in place.
• Staff and customers must be screened for COVID-19 symptoms prior to service. Clients and staff feeling unwell should reschedule appointments.
• Everyone, including clients, must wear cloth face coverings while in the salon or barbershop, and clients are encouraged to wear face coverings with earloops to ensure the face covering does not interfere with hair service.
• Magazines, coffee and other amenities that are high contact may not be offered.
• Clients are encouraged to use credit cards and contactless payment systems. If electronic or card payment is not possible, customers should come with exact cash payment or check, if available.
• Stylists may only serve one client at a time.

The new state framework prohibits all personal grooming services (other than hair services) from indoor operation while a county remains in tier 1.

Personal care services (esthetician, skin care and cosmetology services; electrology; nail salons; body art professionals, tattoo parlors, microblading and permanent make-up; piercing shops; and massage therapy) are not allowed to be resume business indoors at this time, as directed by CA Health Officer orders.

The move follows an announcement by the county on Wednesday allowing hair salons and barbershops to reopen for limited indoor service in Los Angeles County, county officials announced on Wednesday.

According to Supervisor Janice Hahn announced that the county’s health order will be revised as early as Wednesday afternoon, to allow hair salons and barbershops to resume indoor service, with capacity limited to 25 percent.

The county will review possible increases in capacity after Labor Day.

According to Hahn,  the county is still not authorizing the reopening of indoor shopping malls. The state’s revised guidelines released Friday authorized indoor shopping malls to reopen at 25 percent capacity, but again, it is up to individual counties to approve the reopenings.

Los Angeles County health officials were expected to discuss the changes at an afternoon news briefing.

Health officials are also likely to again urge residents to avoid large gatherings over the upcoming Labor Day holiday. The Department of Public Health has been trying to promote that message for several days, particularly with hot weather expected over the long holiday weekend.

The Fourth of July and Memorial Day holiday weekends both resulted in dramatic spikes in coronavirus cases in the county.

In a statement Tuesday, the county Department of Public Health warned again that “it is important not to gather with people who aren’t part of your household as it puts you at risk for COVID-19.”

The county released a list of activities that are banned by the Health Officer Orders, “even if they feel safe.” Those activities include baby showers, gender-reveal parties, backyard barbecues for Labor Day, student study groups, Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur dinners and “gathering at the beach with friends over the hot weekend.”

There has been no indication that the county might opt to close beaches to prevent large gatherings.

Health officials fear that the holiday weekend could reverse a downward trend in coronavirus deaths, new cases and hospitalizations.