Do not require salons to close due to Covid-19

We need our salons and industry open to save small businesses like mine and others. Closures have to stop. Please let us open our doors and stay safe while working. Our industry is one of the safest and most sanitised environments to be in. Even pre-Covid health and safety was a priority for salons.

The Northern Ireland government has decided that close contacted services like getting your hair done cannot be allowed to operate. This should not happen in England. Save our industry. Ensure there are no more closures.

Hairdressers were able to reopen from 4 July. All services including those in the highest risk zone (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/close-contact-services#close-contact-appendix) were permitted from 15 August. On 31 October, the Prime Minister announced that new national restrictions will be in place in England, meaning these businesses will be required to close again from 5 November until 2 December.

With the NHS weeks from being overwhelmed, and a higher death toll than the first wave predicted without new restrictions, the Prime Minister, Chief Medical Officer, Chief Scientific Advisor, and Cabinet agreed there was no alternative to tougher national measures. Thus, salons were required close.

We did, however, recognise the importance of this trading period to the sector. That is why Click and Collect services can continue. This can include, for example, high street salons selling products. Services, like haircuts, are not be permitted. These measures balance the need to reduce social contact and tackle the rising R rate while helping salons to keep trading where they can.

Information and guidance on the new national lockdown can be found here: www.gov.uk/guidance/new-national-restrictions-from-5-november.

Guidance for the close contact services exempt from the new restrictions, namely make-up artists on television and film sets can be found on the link below. www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/close-contact-services. These pages are kept up to date and reopening guidance will be provided in due course.

Further business support can also be found here: www.gov.uk/coronavirus/business-support.

We thank members of this industry and their customers for their patience in this difficult time.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy