Arizona hair salons, barbershops reopen in limited capacity amid COVID-19 pandemic

PHOENIX - Hair salons and barbershops in Arizona that were shut down a month ago to stop the spread of the coronavirus will look different as they reopen Friday.

In early April, Gov. Doug Ducey ordered barbers and salons to close by April 4, as part of a stay-at-home order that saw many businesses not classified as essential services close their doors amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

On April 29, Gov. Ducey announced his decision to extend the stay-at-home order to May 15. The decision to reopen barbers and salons, along with non-essential businesses, was announced on May 4.

As part of the reopening, salons and barbershops will have to provide cloth face coverings for employees and visitors to wear, and they are being asked to operate on an appointment-only basis to manage occupancy levels. Meanwhile, waiting areas and service areas should provide for appropriate physical distancing.

In making his decision on the re-openings, Gov. Doug Ducey cited a downward trajectory in the percentage of positive tests along with declines in hospital visits for coronavirus symptoms.

Retail businesses also can resume full in-store sales. Restaurants will be permitted to offer limited dine-in service with precautionary measures starting next week.

Barbers, customers react to reopening

At one barbershop in Gilbert, the sound of buzzing, as well as small talk, can be heard on Friday as the business reopened.

"It’s good to be back. Good to be back," said one barber at the barbershop.

When the barbershop's owner, Lisa D'Amico, showed up, there was a line of people already there.

"Calls like crazy. I have had people call, saying they would give me $1,000 for a haircut. It’s been insane," said D'Amico.

D'Amico is following all CDC guidelines, and customers are waiting outside.

"It was a long wait. 20-30 people or something to get in," said one man who was getting a haircut at D'Amico's barbershop.

Customers say no matter the wait, they needed to get in today.

"It was bad not having a haircut for a little bit," said another man who was getting a haircut on Friday at D'Amico's barbershop.

Barbers are happy to be busy again too. D'Amico says it was a struggle for her and employees because as independent contractors, they couldn’t qualify for unemployment. However, with the long wait times like this, they are happy to help their customers feel good again.

"I am very excited, and happy to be back to work," said D'Amico.

Jeff Guebara was among more than a dozen men who arrived before opening Friday at Uptown Barbershop in Phoenix. The Amazon delivery driver normally gets his hair cut every two weeks. This marked his first cut in two months.

“Hair was going into my mouth. I looked like a little Chia Pet,” Guebara said. “I was thinking ‘I got to get in here.’ “

He opted not to wear a mask, however, because his beard also needed trimming. But his barber was wearing one.

“I’m confident they’re doing a good job of disinfecting everything,” Guebara said.

Salons and barbershops in Arizona reopened for the first time after a month-long state-mandated shutdown to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

But most looked different in the new age of social distancing. Uptown Barbershop owner Ronnie Yagudaev was using a newly created electronic sign-in system outside. Every client is offered a mask before they sit. The barber stations are now 6 feet (2 meters) apart. With only six stations, Yagudaev was trying to keep the number of total occupants to between 10 and 12.

“It feels different. We’re gonna adapt to the changes — do it safe, do it right,” said Yagudaev, who runs two other locations nearby. It still felt great to be back among customers because “we need them just as much as they need us.”

Josh Rosenbaum, a regular client, said even a simple task like getting a haircut felt comforting.

“I’m a creature of habit, and I’m a teacher. So, I’ve been locked up all day. This is like my first venture out into civilization in two months,” Rosenbaum said.

At nearby Sola Salon Studios, social distancing is a little easier to manage. The space houses 30 one-room suites leased by independent hairstylists, barbers, aestheticians and other beauty professionals.

“It already reduces a lot of crowds, and it reduces possible groups,” said Christopher Nunez, a barber. “But we’re having everyone come in one at a time.”

In another suite, Sue Brower was blow-drying the hair of her first client of the day. Neither was wearing a mask.

“If they feel I need to have one, I would wear one,” Brower said.

The state of the pandemic in Arizona

Ducey’s current stay-home order is set to expire May 15. Some GOP lawmakers criticized the closures as the economy tanked.

On Friday, a judge rejected a request from a laid-off restaurant worker from Flagstaff who asked the court to bar enforcement of the governor’s stay-at-home order.

Joseph McGhee, who isn’t an attorney but was representing himself in the challenge, argued the order impinges the freedom of movement.

While the governor’s order allows people to leave their home for specified essential services, McGhee said it limits his ability to “wander aimlessly.”

Unlike a quarantine that strictly bars people from leaving quarantine areas, Ducey’s order doesn’t prevent anyone from engaging in activities, leaving their homes or visiting friends and family, U.S. District Judge Murray Snow wrote.

Snow said McGhee “has not raised serious questions as to the merits of this claim, let alone established he is likely to succeed.”

Also on Friday, the ACLU of Arizona and the Perkins Coie private law firm filed a lawsuit on behalf of federal prison inmates who are at a high-risk to get severely ill or die from COVID-19, saying their constitutional rights are being violated because the prison isn’t implementing CDC guidelines to maintain safety. The inmates are all awaiting trial and being held at the Central Arizona Florence Correctional Complex in Florence.

The number of known COVID-19 cases across Arizona has passed 10,000, and state health officials on Friday reported 67 additional deaths. The Department of Health Services said on its website that 35 of the newly reported deaths were based on reviews of death certificates from as far back as April 12, based on new guidance from the National Center for Health Statistics.

Gila and Cochise counties reported their first deaths. Only Graham, Greenlee and Santa Cruz counties — three of the four smallest in Arizona — have been spared from COVID-19 deaths.

There were 581 additional infections, bringing the state’s total of known cases to 10,526. It was the largest single-day jump in confirmed infections as the state’s testing capacity ramps up.

MORE: Gov. Ducey announces COVID-19 testing blitz in Arizona

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. The vast majority of people recover.

Ducey initially ordered hair and nail salons, barbers and other businesses that provide personal services to shutter on April 3 after he was criticized for not doing so earlier.

The Republican governor had repeatedly said during a town hall that salons and barbershops were not included in his list of essential services that could remain open under a March 23 executive order. Yet the order didn’t specifically name those businesses. It barred cities from acting on their own to close them down.

The Associated Press (AP) contributed to this report.

In order to protect yourself from a possible infection, the CDC recommends: 

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.

MAP: Worldwide interactive Coronavirus case data

MAP: Arizona Coronavirus cases by zip code

FULL COVERAGE: fox10phoenix.com/coronavirus

Coronavirus (COVID-19)
How it spreads, symptoms, prevention, treatment, FAQ
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus

Arizona COVID-19 Response
Public resources, FAQ, webinars
https://www.azdhs.gov/coronavirus

On CoronavirusNOW.com, you'll find extensive coverage about COVID-19, including breaking news from around the country, exclusive interviews with health officials, and informative content from a variety of public health resources.