photo: Justin Fox Burks
The shop where barber Warren Lewis styles hair with fire caught fire.
Salons and barbershops can now open on May 6th thanks to a county-wide order from city and county leaders here.
Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris said these close-contact shops were not included in the original Phase 1 of the Back to Business plan. That plan will slowly re-open Memphis and Shelby County from stay-at-home orders mandated in late March.
Such shops were not to open until May in the original state plan. However, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee threw leaders here a “curveball” last week when he changed his mind on the opening of close-contact shops.
Harris said local leaders agreed to open salons and barbershops (but not massage parlors, nail salons, or tattoo shops) because “you can’t stop people from getting a haircut right now.”
“They’re getting their hair cut at their kitchen tables and garages,” Harris said. “They’re not following the appropriate safety protocols in the garage.”
With that, re-opening of shops will come with a host of mandatory safety precautions:
• Employees’ temperatures will be checked and they won’t be able to go to work if they have a fever
• Shops will keep in stock hand sanitizer, soap, and disinfectant wipes
• Face coverings will be worn by stylists and customers
• Stylists will wear protective gloves when cutting hair
• Capes, smocks, and neck towels can be disposable or can be used only once
• Active work stations will be six feet apart
• Walk-ins are only OK if the customer waits in their car
• Unless they are getting a haircut, minors are not allowed to go to styling appointments
Read the entire order here:
[pdf-1]