Petition Calls on Newsom to Re-open Hair Salons

More than 1,700 people have signed a petition calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers to re-open California Indoor Salons & Beauty Services. Petitioners maintain they cannot work outdoors.

On July 13, Newsom ordered gyms, churches and several other businesses to close their indoor operations in most Central California counties effective immediately. The order was part of a major rollback in the state’s reopening efforts amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Thirty counties on the state’s monitoring list due to increasing community spread and COVID-19 outbreaks must also close their gyms, hair salons, worship services, and malls. The list includes Riverside County.

A week later,, Newsom said that hair salons and barbershops could offer services outdoors during the COVID-19 pandemic. That has been widely panned in the desert where summer temperatures consistently hover in the triple digits.

This is great for those that can perform services outdoors, but for many of us outdoor services are not possible or would significantly limit our earning potential, according to the petition.

“This industry is prepared and has heavily invested in returning safely & adhering to the guidelines set forth,” according to Yolanda Aguilar,  who started the petition. “We have proven able to operate safely without contributing to the spread. Operating outside of the controlled, safe environments we’ve created, is NOT a safer option.”

In addition, the expense to move outdoors will be even harder on salon owners who haven’t even had sufficient time to make up for the capital put forth to abide by the first guidelines, according to the petition. This will create even more financial hardships for stylists, our families and our already struggling businesses.

It’s been said that these decisions are based on advisement of medical professionals & scientific data., Aguilar writes. Our industries own data can prove we can and have performed indoor services in a sanitary, safe environment without cases being traced back to us for months now. If this is not the case please provide us with the data to support the closure.