People flock to get last haircut before salon closure

Long queues have formed outside hair salons as people hope to get a final hairdo before a mandatory closure of barber shops from Thursday.

Many rushed to hair salons on Wednesday morning before they opened, a day after the government announced they will have to close until at least February 24.

And when they eventually are allowed to reopen, the premises will be subject to the “vaccine pass” measure, and people will have to be inoculated against Covid-19 in order to get a fresh cut.

A woman surnamed Tsang brought her son along to a salon.

“At the end of the day, it is less convenient for children than for adults. Adults can arrange to get a haircut after the 24th of this month, but it would be more difficult for kids, because they haven’t been vaccinated, and it’s best to stay home as much as possible,” she told RTHK.

Another customer, surnamed Law, said the prompt, temporary closure forced him to make changes to his schedule.

“Originally, I had plans today, but when I saw the news that hair salons have to close for two weeks, and that it’s unclear when they could reopen, I decided to take some time out to get a haircut,” he told RTHK.

“The closure is unreasonable, because we’re always masked when getting our haircut.”

But another customer, surnamed Cheung, said he understood the need for stricter anti-epidemic measures.

“I expected social distancing rules to tighten further… this is the trend now. As citizens, we should ride out the storm together with the government,” he said.

Speaking on an RTHK radio show, the president of the Hair and Beauty Merchants Association, Forest Kong, said the industry is shocked by the closure order for salons.

Infection-control measures at salons are already adequate, with all staff and customers wearing masks, he said.

Kong said a two-week closure will lead to problems relating to rent and wages, noting that most practitioners in the industry are self-employed and will have no income if they don’t work.

He, however, backed the government’s plan to impose a vaccine mandate on salons, saying while it may cause some inconvenience, the move is acceptable given the severe outbreak situation.