On Friday May 29th salons and barbershops received their official New York State guidelines for reopening as part of phase 2. Salon staff will be required to wear PPE as well as maintaining proper social distancing from coworkers and clients they are not providing a service for. As a mandatory guideline salon staff are also required to be tested for COVID-19 every 14 days. Doctors, grocery store employees, Uber drivers and those working in food service are not subject to the same testing. Why this industry? The majority of cosmetology and barber schooling is based upon learning proper sanitation making this one of the most sanitary professions. Those in this industry are not working directly with COVID-19 patients all day. If doctors and others working in the medical field do not have to be tested every 14 days, why require this profession to adhere to stricter guidelines?

     In addition to being tested employees will be mandated to wear face shields along with their masks throughout the summer months. Working with a mask itself is already going to be a challenge. The addition of a face shield will only makes it more difficult to breath while working shifts that can range from 6-12 hours. This could potentially become a health hazard and cause stylists and barbers to pass out. Those in medical professions are currently not mandated to wear face shields, so again why are there stricter guidelines for this particular industry?

     These guidelines need to be reviewed and updated for the safety and well-being of those working in this industry. There should not be stricter guidelines for salons and barbershops than there are for medical professionals. Please consider signing this petition and sharing with your friends.