You can get a haircut inside a salon again soon in California under new COVID-19 guidelines

Californians can once again get their hair cut inside a salon or barbershop under new COVID-19 guidelines Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday, although it remains to be seen how quickly counties will adapt to the new more lenient guidance.

The new rules, which take effect Monday, allow those businesses to open for indoor service across the state, even in counties that have “widespread” coronavirus cases — those classified as purple under California’s new color-coded reopening tiers. They previously were restricted to offering services outside in counties with the most severe outbreaks.

The governor’s new guidelines do not, however, supersede county health orders, if the county’s rules are more stringent.

In Sacramento County, as of this week, the county health order forbids indoor hair styling or cutting. County officials said they are reviewing the governor’s new approach, including the question of allowing indoor hair cutting. They say that review could lead them to consider amending their local health order. If they decide to amend their order, the earliest it would happen would be next week, a spokeswoman said.

Meanwhile, nail salons can only operate outdoors in purple-tier counties. They can be open for indoor services in the rest of the counties — those in red, orange and yellow tiers.

Salon owners have been pressuring Newsom to allow them to reopen, saying that the prolonged closures of their stores will force many of them out of business during the coronavirus pandemic.

This story was originally published August 28, 2020 at 1:39 PM with the headline "You can get a haircut inside a salon again soon in California under new COVID-19 guidelines."