Beauty salons react to closures amid COVID-19 outbreak

TOOWOOMBA'S beauty sector has reacted with shock and sadness after stores were forced to close following new social distancing restrictions placed on the city.

Plush Skin, Body and Beauty's Melitta Smith. Picture: Contributed

TOOWOOMBA'S beauty industry has reacted with shock and sadness after stores were forced to close following new social distancing restrictions placed on the city and the country.

Beauty, nail and massage salons and tattoo parlours are among the latest businesses being to told to shut their doors in a bid to fight the spread of coronavirus.

The tougher restrictions, announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison earlier this week, are expected to put another 85,000 Queenslanders out of work from today.

Plush Skin, Body and Beauty at the Mort Estate Village on West St is just one of the dozens of businesses closing up, much to the disappointment of owner Melitta Smith.

"We have all (in the industry) put so much time and effort, blood, sweat and tears," she said.

"I have had beautiful clients - I'm going to miss them for the time that I'm not here.

"I suspected it was coming, but I didn't foresee it would be so quick - we didn't even have 24 hours' notice.

"I have every intention to come back, but the possibility of this unknown timeframe could be the undoing for many of us in small business."

Ms Smith said the Federal Government needed to make clear what small business owners now out of work would be entitled to.

"We need the government to really support us - I don't know if they're going to support me, because I'm technically unemployed," she said.

"There's a miscommunication around what I'm entitled to.

"I donate to the community, I support services to the whole community, and I might not have any government support."

Beauty with Perfection owner Wendy Kuhnemann, who is based at Westridge Shopping Centre, admitted the announcement on Tuesday night left her in tears.

"I just love coming to work and hopefully we won't have this re-occur. It's just mind-blowing," she said.

"The main thing is to thank everybody for supporting us and who will support us when we're back. I've got amazing staff as well.

"I'm hoping it is the right decision and that people understand how this virus works. Hopefully we'll still be financially ok."

Classic Beauty Therapy at the Range Shopping Centre also expressed their sadness at closing, urging customers to help them clear stock on the shelves.

"We have extended our extended hours with limited appointments available & are fully stocked in skincare but be quick!" they wrote yesterday.

Originally published as Beauty salons react to closures amid COVID-19 outbreak