Hairdressers could reopen this month with staff wearing dentist-style masks and gloves as part of drive to kick-start Britain’s economy
- Hair salons and barbers could reopen with non-essential shops on June 15
- Ministers are said to be considering reopening earlier than original July plan
- Dept for Business is said to be drawing up plans to protect staff and customers
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
The Prime Minister is considering plans for hair salons and barber shops to reopen later month, with staff wearing dentist-style masks and gloves to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Hairdressers are expected to reopen until mid-July, but ministers are now discussing moving the date forward to kickstart the UK economy, The Telegraph has reported.
It is thought salons could reopen as early as June 15, the same date non-essential shops and businesses will return.
Hair salons and barbers could reopen on June 15, one source has claimed. The Gatsby and Miller in Amersham is among the hairdressers that says it is ready welcome customers again
Hairdressers could have to follow similar distancing measures to dentists, last week Gatsby and Miller in Amersham showed MailOnline how they were preparing for lockdown to ease
One insider told the paper: ‘Hairdressers were supposed to be the next thing. Boris has talked about unleashing the great British haircut again. It would be treated under similar rules to dentists.’
More than three quarters of the National Hair and Beauty Federation’s 1,600 members say they are very well prepared to return to business.
Hilary Hall, chief executive of the NHBF, told The Telegraph: ‘If you’re in a job that means you’re in close contact with clients, the PPE becomes particularly important. It’s that guidance that we’re very keen to see and to ensure that salons prepare for that.’
Last week the Health Secretary Matt Hancock would not commit to hairdressers being allowed to open on June 15 but is working to ensure they are open as soon as possible.
He said: ‘I would love to be able to do that and the way to do that is to ensure that, when it is safe to do so, hairdressing is brought back in a way that itself is safe. So, protective equipment.
‘We are working on what it would look like to have the protective equipment, exactly as you say, in place.
‘Hairdressing, like so many industries, we’re doing everything we can to support them through what is inevitably an incredibly difficult time.’
One of Britain’s first hairdressers ready for reopening is the Gatsby & Miller in Amersham, Buckinghamshire – one of the 25,000 UK salon partners of beauty giant L’Oreal which is creating a blueprint for the sector.
This includes a digital screen in the window to display important reminders about social distancing, and clients being welcomed by one mask-wearing stylist who will stay with them for their visit via a one-way system.
Downing Street has not ruled out reopening salons on June 15, but no final decision has been made
All staff will be wearing gloves and masks which will be changed throughout the day, while customers will be also asked to wear a mask during the appointment and hand sanitiser dispensers will be provided for their use.
It is understood the Department for Business has started to draw up social distancing guidelines which would force hairdressers to wear face masks, perspex visors and gloves.
Downing Street has refused to rule out reopening salons on June 15, but there is no final decision as yet.
A Department for Business spokesman told The Telegraph: ‘The Government has set up task forces to work with industry representatives to develop safe ways for businesses such as hairdressers to open at the earliest point at which it is safe to do so.’