The beauty industry got the news it had been waiting more than two months to hear: we’ve got the green light to re-open.
Salons in NSW and Victoria are set to re-open on June 1, while South Australian salons will open on June 8, and Western Australian salons will be permitted to open from June 15. They join Queensland and Northern Territory salons, which have been open since mid-May.
“Of all the requests I’ve had as Health Minister on the last three months, this has been the one that has topped the barrel,” NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said of the state-wide demand to re-open the beauty industry. “I even had text messages in the middle of other meetings, telling me how bad acrylic nails were. I didn’t even know there was such a thing as acrylic nails,” he laughed.
On a more serious note, Mr Hazzard said it would be the responsibility of salon owners and workers to ensure the safety of all staff and customers.
“Your task is not only to deliver the services that people need and want, but also make sure they are kept safe,” he said.
The safety guidelines include:
- One person per 4 square metres including both staff and clients, up to a maximum of 10 clients at any one time;
- Exclusion of staff and clients who are unwell, even if they have only mild symptoms;
- Records of attendance on the business premises for all staff, clients and contractors;
- Cleaning requirements;
- Removal of books, magazines and iPads from waiting areas to reduce the potential for infection of clients;
- Seating in waiting areas that complies with physical distancing;
- Ensure good hand hygiene facilities are available, including at venue entry and exit, and promote excellent hand hygiene by staff;
- Clearly displayed conditions of entry on their entrance, website and social media platforms;
- Designating a staff member whose responsibilities include ensuring staff and clients have appropriate physical distancing and that the venue does not exceed the maximum capacity limit and;
- Measures to maximise distancing between staff where safe and practical, including assigning staff to specific work stations that are at least 1.5 metres apart and minimising any interaction between these stations;
- Encourage download of the COVID-safe app.
Within an hour of the announcement, Kristin Fisher Eyebrows’ online booking system had logged close to 1,500 bookings. “When I heard [Hazzard] on the television, saying things were good, I screamed,” she said. Kristin has been extremely vocal in recent weeks, campaigning for the government to allow beauty salons to re-open.
Visit the #BEAUTYSTRONG hub at https://www.professionalbeauty.com.au/beautystrong/
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