Good afternoon I would just like to bring this to everyone’s attention on the behalf of not only myself but my fellow coworkers and all the other cosmetologist, barbers, and nail techs . This whole coronavirus is taking a toll on the industry whether were forced to close down or we have to make a extremely hard choice on taking time off to avoid the risk of Exposure. Our industry hands on these clients we are 100% at risk . I want to work but I’m taking two weeks off of work Possibly more due to the president doesn’t think it’s going to get better for a while along with where the virus and how it’s being controlled . I feel I have no choice, and I know there’s many others in this industry that feel the same way with her situation . If I were to be exposed to this coronavirus and take it home to my children my son Easton or even my preemie baby Vivian got it, for them it could mean life or death. Easton has chronic lung disease and both have compromised immune system . . pregnant women in this industry are greatly at risk but they want to keep working to be able to provide and put a roof over their head . It’d be one thing if people knew how to stay home when sick but with this one how it’s said to be contagious up to two weeks with the person having  no symptoms. But this is also a battle every winter whether it’s this virus or other viruses but this virus is supposed to have by far worse consequences. Being a hairstylist we have even closer contact with our clients then bartenders and or servers have with patrons at restaurants and bars.  Just think we shampoo someone’s hair while they out lay back in the shampoo bowl and our face is almost directly over their face. Any sneezing or coughing ends up in our face and even sometimes when you’re cutting the front part of someone’s hair or bangs some clients reaction is the blow out of their face blowing everything into the stylist face . Just last week I had a client come in and tell me that they were sick and couldn’t go see their grandbaby yet they come into the salon and choose to expose all of our staff and other clients, then we go home to our families exposing them . Some of us in this industry are not self-employed ,some of us work for chain salons or other private signs that we receive a paycheck on payroll. It’s sad that it’s come down to our industries workers have to choose getting a paycheck and risking our health along with our families health or stay home to try to keep everybody healthy and not play into the spread of this virus and try to figure out how to make ends meet.  And some of us we feel not having a choice because it could mean life or death like I mentioned for some of us that have medically frail children or spouses .I know I speak for probably all the hairstylist and barbers but it is not fair or right that our profession is always forgotten about and or overlooked when we have such close contact with our clients. Some clients will cancel some clients will come in regardless, we often have a lot of clients that travel to many different states for their job and sometimes other countries .Some salons are taking an action of sending more cleaning supplies, hand sanitizer, and so on . But sometimes that’s not good enough considering the kind of contact we have with the clients .I have been in this profession for over 11 years and I love what I do but we have no sick benefits ,paid leave and etc.  Nobody told us about that when we sign up for beauty College .Back then I was just 19 years old,I didn’t even think about that kind of stuff back then. And trust me I’d rather be at work busting my butt to provide for my little family then being what feels like being trapped in my house praying that my babies don’t get this virus and being contained to a hospital room. The salons that are still open are going to remain to create a problem and it’s definitely not helping illuminate or stop the spread of this coronavirus. I know a lot of people are scared to death but they’re still going to work exposing themselves because they’re scared of not being able to make ends meet such as mortgages, rent, utilities, auto loans, food for their families . On the behalf of not only myself but all the other hairstylist, barbers, nail tech, and masseuses I am asking for someone to please not overlook our Industry anymore . We are also an industry that almost everybody wants to get a service from Weather it’s just a regular men’s haircut, a beard trim, or regular hair color . We are the people that make you feel good about yourself after getting a fresh new cut for example . We the people need help just like the bartenders , waitresses, waiters and restaurant owners.