The government allowed barbershops and salons to reopen at a limited capacity of three customers at a time with the most basic function of haircut only, as Metro Manila shifts to the general community quarantine.
Officials said barbershops and salons would be allowed to reopen at a maximum of 30-percent capacity by June 7 and would be further allowed to operate at a 50-percent maximum capacity during the modified general community quarantine.
“The earlier reopening was reconsidered by the Inter-Agency Task Force in recognition of the very strict health protocols that were developed. These guidelines must be closely adopted by these establishments in order to prevent any risk of COVID-19 transmission,” said Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez.
Under the guidelines for barbershops and salons released on May 29, the following should be placed at the entrance: floor mat or foot bath with disinfectant, thermal scanner, alcohol that can be easily sprayed on the clients’ hands, health checklist, face shields for clients who will avail of shampoo services and a system where personal items are disinfected and deposited in secured sanitary bags.
Grooming establishments were also required to observe protocols such as chairs placed at least 1 meter apart on all sides; floor markings visible for the guidance of clients; proper ventilation; available face masks; and sanitizing equipment and tools visible to clients.
Workstations should be sterilized before and after each service while pieces of furniture made of porous materials should be covered in plastic for ease of sanitation. There should also be strict use of disposable-only menus, reading materials and magazines.
The guidelines also mandate that employees wear personal protective equipment including, but not limited to face mask, face shield, eye glasses, gloves, hair caps and closed shoes.
No personnel with COVID-19 symptoms or exposure to COVID-19 patients should be allowed to work.
The guidelines also remind workers not to wear pieces of jewelry, observe proper personal hygiene, enforce client-personnel interaction protocols and practice frequent handwashing and sanitizing.
“We are confident that barbershops and salons will be able follow these strict yet reasonable guidelines in order to start bringing back jobs to an estimated 400,000 workers in over 35,000 shops,” Lopez said.
Salons and barbershops were not required accreditation to reopen, but the government said it would conduct unannounced visits. Non-compliant shops will be closed down immediately until they are able to correct their practices, according to the DTI.