Governor Capitulates … again … sort of!

Here is the PBFC’s Public Statement in response to Governor Newsom’s convoluted tiered schema he just rolled out, placing 87% of our nail/skin establishments OUTSIDE, while reopening INDOOR hair/barbershops statewide (evidently without capacity limits):

     Since 1999, the Professional Beauty Federation of California has striven to give voice to California’s 621,000 hair/skin/nails licensed professionals and 53,000 licensed barbering/beauty establishments.  In recent months, we have been very active in trying to get our so-called “non-essential” but safe businesses back in operation, including a federal lawsuit filed against Governor Newsom on May 12 and a concerted #OpenSalonsNow campaign.

     Even though his Administration has been working on this tiered reopening schema for weeks, there were no public hearings. No legislative deliberations.  No regulatory adoption process. And no acknowledgement of the high standards of licensure set by his own State Board of Barbering & Cosmetology.  Just another act of gubernatorial fiat — one in a series of edicts that would make a medieval monarch blush.

     Locking 87% of our skin/nail salons in the “Widespread” tier for 21 days is simply unacceptable!  And continuing to give County health officers ultimate veto over our STATE licensed industry is unworkable, given those municipal bureaucrats haven’t regulated our industry since 1927!

     Moreover, separating hair from nails/skin services is arbitrarily discriminatory, dividing our barbering/beauty industry along gender, racial and industry-sector lines.  Relegated to the bottom tier, nearly all skin care professionals are women, and nearly 75% of all nail salons are first-generation Vietnamese immigrants.  What “data and science” justify dividing our industry into such a caste system, with women and immigrants at the bottom?

     It’s akin to the Governor instructing the DMV to suspend the drivers licenses of all Asian and female drivers in a haphazard attempt to make our roads safer.  But given the Governor’s defamatory and unverified allegation back in May that the first community spread occurred in an unidentified nail salon, his consistent, discriminatory actions have exposed a disturbing bias.

     All of our barbering/beauty licensed professionals — including estheticians and manicurists — have received hundreds of hours of State Board of Barbering & Cosmetology approved education and training in cross-contamination and disinfection protocols.  Our licensed professionals have invested considerable resources into PPE and other COVID-compliant safety protocols. Our state licensed salon and spa professionals know how to safely operate, as even the CDC publicly acknowledged back in July.

     Hundreds of thousands of California women and immigrants deserve better from our Governor.  Open ALL salons now!

Here’s the key website link:

And this just in from State Board:

Effective August 31, 2020, Hair Salons and Barbershops may be open statewide with modifications. Please visit https://files.covid19.ca.gov/pdf/guidance-hair-salons–en.pdf to view the industry guidance document for modifications for Hair Salons and Barbershops.

If the establishment is located in a county that has stricter orders the counties orders must be followed.

Manicure and Esthetic services are not allowed indoors in counties that are in Tier 1 (purple).  Electrology services are not allowed in counites in Tier 1 (purple). Manicure, Electrology, and  Esthetic (skin care)  services will be allowed indoors  with modifications as of August 31, 2020 in counties that are in Tiers 2, 3, and 4 (red, orange, and yellow). Please visit https://files.covid19.ca.gov/pdf/guidance-expanded-personal-care-services–en.pdf to view the industry guidance document for modifications for Personal Care Services (manicure, electrology, and skin care).

Again, if the establishment is located in a county with stricter orders the counties orders must be followed.  The map of the counties by colors can be found at https://covid19.ca.gov/safer-economy/.Sincerely,
California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology