Still No Indoor Operations For Nail Salons As Business Owners' Frustration Grows
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – While indoor barbershops and indoor malls were given the OK to reopen beginning Monday under California Gov. Gavin Newsom's new four-tiered coronavirus assessment system, nail salons did not make the list.
On Friday, Newsom announced that the state was giving authorization, at the discretion of each county, to reopen indoor barbershops, indoor hair salons and indoor malls at 25% capacity beginning Monday. However, nail salons were not included and can still only offer outdoor services.
Nail salons were ordered to close in mid-March. After briefly reopening in June, they were ordered to close again on July 13. The nail salon industry has repeatedly petitioned the governor for permission to reopen, arguing that it maintains the highest health and safety standards.
RELATED: LA County Business Owners Frustrated About Reopening Limitations As Other Counties Ease Restrictions
On July 20, Newsom gave permission for nail salons, hair salons and barbershops to move some of their services outdoors. However, the scorching hot temperatures and the limited range of services which can be offered outdoors has posed a financial and operational challenge to businesses.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is expected to have an update on hair salons Tuesday – which business owners such as Lisa Hoffman Diegel of Salon Westlake hope will be clear-cut.
"The governor says we can work. And the county says we can't and we're located here on the county line," she said. "And right around the corners are active salons working."
Just down the street, staff went back to work at John Of Italy – which is in Ventura County.
The owner has closed off hair washing and drying stations – along with other measures to maintain social distancing.
But as of Monday, Diegel - who invested thousands to put up acrylic screens with the hope of saving her livelihood - faces an uncertain future.
"I'm nervous," she said. "I already lost half of my staff. I'm nervous that either my staff will go work at another salon or the customers will go to another salon."
