SAN FRANCISCO — Personal services including hair and nail salons, barber shops and massage businesses, will be allowed to reopen in outdoor spaces starting on September 1, according to Mayor Breed’s release on Friday, August 29.
Mayor London Breed and Dr. Grant Colfax, Director of Public Health, released an announcement saying that these businesses can resume outdoor operations if they follow the guidance that was posted by the city to prepare and operate in a safe way. One of the conditions to start offering these personal services is that all clients and employees must wear face coverings.
Some other rules in the guidance include having daily COVID-19 symptom checks for staff and customers, establishing and enforcing capacity limits and having sanitization requirements that comply with coronavirus health regulations. The guidance also allows businesses to use structures such as tents to provide shade as long as they are not closed spaces.
In the announcement Mayor Breed recognized that operating outdoors would not be easy but she is glad that these services can reopen given the financial impact that they have had.
“All businesses in San Francisco are struggling, and while many have been able to reopen with modifications in place, providers of personal services like hair salons, barber shops and massage establishments have remained shuttered. This has created a huge financial challenge for their owners and employees, and I am so glad that those businesses will soon be able to reopen for outdoor service,” said Mayor Breed. “We know it won’t be seamless to operate outdoors, but we stand ready to support with programs like Shared Spaces and health and safety guidance so that people can get back to work while also protecting themselves and their clients.”
Officials said this announcement would allow businesses to start recovering.
“It’s important that we continue to find ways for business to reopen even if it means starting outdoors,” said Assessor Carmen Chu, Co-Chair of the Economic Recovery Task Force. “The coming months will be the warmest, followed by the high retail season. Let’s give business a fighting chance and understand that the small sacrifices we individually make, like wearing a mask, can make the difference on reopening and help save a business.”
Debbie Yeung, owner of Pastel Hair Salon that has been around for about 30 years, said that it is impossible for her business to follow the guidance and that reopening outdoors is not an effective solution for the financial hardships they have had.
