MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris said Monday that hair salons and barber shops will be able to open countywide May 6. Nail salons, massage parlors and tattoo parlors will remain closed for now.
Harris said the new health directive was made on the advice of doctors and public health professionals.
Those close-contact businesses originally had been scheduled to remain closed until phase two of the reopening process.
Last week, however, the state of Tennessee moved those businesses into phase one. At that point, leaders in several suburban cities in Shelby County said they would follow the governor’s policy and allow those businesses to open, although the county as a whole was under a different order.
Harris said the state’s orders for close-contact businesses contained guidelines, but no regulations, on coronavirus safety precautions. That approach would not work in Shelby County, he said.
“We will not move forward as fast as the rest of the state,” Harris said.
Harris said 11 conditions would have to be met by the businesses in order to reopen Wednesday.
- Employees must have their temperature checked.
- Shops must have sanitizer available.
- Shops must keep an appointment book of who received service and when.
- Face masks would be required for employees
- Coverings like capes must be disposable or used only once.
- Social distancing must be enforced, with six feet between stations.
- Stylists should be tested for COVID.
- Customers must be taken by appointment only, with walk-ins only allowed if they wait outside.
- There must be at least 15 minutes between appointments to allow for cleaning.
- Shops must undergo regular disinfecting.
- No companions will be allowed in the shops, unless they are minors.
The county mayor said he and the mayors of the municipalities in Shelby County were on the same page with the directive. The town of Collierville announced on its social media that salons and barbers would reopen Wednesday.