Government confirms hairdressers won't reopen until July earliest

Those of us hoping to get our roots done before July have had our hopes dashed.

Downing Street has insisted that hairdressers won't open until July "at the earliest," after reports suggested they could open within weeks.

The Telegraph had reported that Boris Johnson was considering plans to reopen hair salons and barber shops later this month, ahead of the previously suggested July 4 date.

It was suggested that hairdressers could reopen early as June 15, with social distancing measures in place which would see stylists wearing "dentist-style PPE" kit, such as face masks, perspex visors and gloves.

However, yesterday the Prime Minister's official spokesman said at a press briefing that July was still "the earliest" that salons open and even then it would be subject to scientific advice.

The PM's spokesman said: "It is correct to say we are working as quickly as we can to get hairdressers up and running safely and that is one of the areas which we have a ministerial led task force focused upon.

"But as we have set out in the road map it is our ambition to reopen them from July at the earliest. And that will be subject to the scientific advice at the time."

Salons have been closed since the lockdown was imposed on March 23, though in recent weeks a number of London hairdressers have begun waitlists for clients to sign up for slots in anticipation of the reopening. Shai Greenberg, owner of London hair salon Gielly Green, launched a petition requesting that salons re-open with non-essential retail on 15 June, which has garnered over 10,000 signatures, and Hair and Barber Council, which represents 11,000 salons, has previously said that most of its members would be ready by mid-June.

However, not every salon is ready. Michelle Lopez, owner of Surrey-based Mint Salon says she feels it would be irresponsible to open too soon. "I am obviously very keen to get back to work but we have a huge responsibility to our staff, our clients and our families at home. If we go back to work whilst the infection rate is too high we will be exposed to high levels of viral load despite the PPE, this is why doctors and nurses have died," she says.

Lopez says, for some in the community there is a sense of pressure to open before they are ready.

"We will be spending up to two hours in a confined space with one person who could be asymptomatic and infectious. Not only that but the smaller salons need time and money to make their salons safe places. A lot of us are scared and we know that if some salons open early we will have the fear of losing business. We understand people want their hair done. I myself am desperate to get back to work but not if it means putting my staff or myself in danger."

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