Coronavirus: Get real on haircuts says Jenny Mikakos as 30-minute rule relaxed

People who are worried about their access to a haircut during the COVID-19 epidemic should ‘get real’, says Jenny Mikakos.

Sydney hairdresser Jasmin Assaf with client Jackie Khoury. Picture: John Feder

People who are worried about their access to a haircut during the COVID-19 epidemic should ‘get real’, according to Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos.

Ms Mikakos’s comments come after the federal government this morning relaxed a 30 minute time limit on haircuts.

Ms Mikakos said she had been contacted by anxious people working in close-contact professions in recent days.

“We had a directive that started from midnight last night,” she said of the current rules, which allow hairdressers to remain open as long as they allow space for no more than one person for every four square metres.

“The law as it applies to Victoria is what came out of that previous discussion through national cabinet.

“Of course we will seek to be as consistent as we can with that approach, and if we need to make some refinements, we will.

“The message is very clear from us, and if you’re contemplating going to get a haircut, or go and get a latte from the cafe, you know, unless you need to be doing these things, you should be at home.

“If people are worried about their access to a haircut, get real.

“People need to focus on the fact that this is a life and death matter here. People’s lives are at stake. On a day where we have sadly lost three Victorians to COVID-19, I can’t stress enough how important it is that everybody follows the rules and stays at home.”

Hairdressers blast backflip

Hairdressers have blasted as “bonkers” and “outrageous” the national cabinet’s backflip on 30-minute hair cuts, warning the decision to allow salons to remain open at all is putting their employees and customers at serious risk of contracting the coronavirus.

Australian Hairdressing Council CEO Sandy Chong, whose organisation has more than 1000 salon members, said the health of hairdressers and barbers was being “disregarded and discriminated against” compared to other trades.

Scott Morrison announced on Tuesday night there could be up to 30-minute appointments at hairdressers and barbers as long as there was only one customer per 4 square metres in the premises.

He backtracked on Thursday and said that instruction would be lifted, effective immediately.

“We should not be made to feel so stressed and anxious in business at the moment. We need to close. We need to consider the safety of our staff, our clients, our families and our community,” Ms Chong told The Australian.

“You cannot have businesses trying to operate on a rollercoaster of decisions where they have not thought out the actual process of small business. Number one is our safety, what has happened to that?

“All of this ‘we can stand 1.5m away, make sure we wash our hands, use the hand sanitisers’, try buying a hand sanitiser at the moment, you can’t.

“The stress of up keeping the amount of sterilisation around the salons puts extra pressure on everybody. We’re all doing our best to keep our environment safe but it’s stressful. It’s absolutely outrageous again that they’re treating small business owners and our industry like this.”

Ms Chong said she had told Small Business Minister Michaelia Cash on Thursday morning this was “not good news” for hairdressers and was asked to write to Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy to outline her concerns.

“There are businesses out there who definitely want to stay open. I speak to more businesses who don’t want to stay open,” Ms Chong said.

“How much of the industry is doing the right thing? I’m getting complaints from staff because their bosses are not doing the right thing and I’m getting complaints from employers because their young staff are not doing the right thing. There’s a percentage who are doing the right thing, others who can’t.

“A lot of people think their hairdressers can do their hair at home but most homes are not as hygienic as professional premises are.”

Just Cuts founder and CEO Denis McFadden, who employs 2500 stylists in Australia, said it was physically impossible for hairdressers to do a shampoo or haircut without touching the client or to do their job within the 4 square metres rule.

“This decision is bonkers,” Mr McFadden said.

“This is not about what services can and can’t be provided in a 30-minute window. This is about health of everyone in our salons, our hairdressers and our clients. Hairdressing is not an essential service. Of course I would prefer this weren’t happening at all, and calling for the sector to be shut down might seem counter-productive but it simply must happen in the interests of people’s health.
“Without hairdressing being on the shutdown list, it is incredibly difficult for our franchise owners to take the heartbreaking but necessary steps to stand down workers so they can access available support or call for breathing space on leases.”

He pleaded with the federal and state governments to “act now” and include hairdressers on the list of non-essential services that must close.

Beauty therapy, tanning, waxing, nail salons, tattoo, spas and massage parlours have been ordered to shut.

‘Chaos and confusion’

Opposition health spokesman Chris Bowen accused the Prime Minister of creating “chaos and confusion” for backflipping on a 30 minute limit on hairdresser appointments days after announcing it.

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— Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) March 25, 2020

“Following the receipt of feedback on the practical implementation of measures announced regarding barbers and hairdressers it was agreed by Premiers and Chief Ministers at National Cabinet last night that the instruction regarding 30 minutes per patron will be lifted,” Scott Morrison said in a statement on Thursday morning.

A statement from Mr Morrison said: “Following the receipt of feedback on the practical implementation of measures announced regarding barbers and hairdressers it was agreed by Premiers and Chief Ministers at National Cabinet last night that the instruction regarding 30 minutes per patron will be lifted.”

Mr Bowen said “Australians need clear messages about what they should be doing”.

“The chaos and confusion around the Prime Minister’s continuously revised announcements have gone from bad to worse,” Mr Bowen said.

“Businesses deserve clear instructions and certainty around what services they can offer. Above all the key message must be, the more people who stay home, the less people will die.”

Mr Morrison also said states and territories could provide exemptions in relation to attendance at funerals “in hardship cases” but “only at the margin”, referring to the 10-person limit on funerals introduced on Tuesday night.