What Boris Johnson's announcement means for barbers
Published
23rd Sep 2020
by Charlotte Grant-West
Prime Minister Boris Johnson's announcement in the House of Commons yesterday stated that further steps will be taken against businesses in England who do not follow the guidelines - which is welcome news for guideline-abiding barbers.
This comes as reassuring news to barbershops and hair salons who have abided by the rules, but have been disheartened to see other businesses abiding by their own guidelines.
The guidelines will now become legally enforceable, the National Hair and Beauty Federation reports. If they are not followed, fines will be imposed, and businesses could be forced to shut down. For those businesses that are already complying, it’s business as usual.
Apart from making the guidelines legally enforceable there hasn't been any further details on restrictions on hair and beauty salons. However with people being encouraged to work from home 'if they can', it's likely to have a negative impact on barbershops that rely on office workers to fill their chairs.
The Prime Minister said: "Today I set out a package of tougher measures in England – early closing for pubs, bars; table service only; closing businesses that are not covid secure; expanding the use of face coverings, and new fines for those that fail to comply; and once again asking office workers to work from home if they can while enforcing the rule of six indoors and outdoors – a tougher package of national measures combined with the potential for tougher local restrictions for areas already in lockdown."
Here's a link to the full statement.
The rules in Scotland
A further announcement was issued by First Minister for Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, that from tomorrow, Wednesday 23 September, the latest COVID-19 restrictions ban the mixing of households indoors. This doesn’t apply to mobile hair and barbering services. However, mobile beauty services remain prohibited.
A package of support for people asked to self-isolate, including £500.00 for those on low incomes was announced with detail to follow.
The Scottish Government will also offer further resources for additional Environmental Health Officers and is asking local authorities to step up their inspection and enforcement measures.
In all cases it’s important for hair and beauty businesses to follow the guidelines of their nation and protect our industry.
