As California gradually begins to reopen, the next phase will allow close-contact businesses such as nail salons to restart operations Friday, June 19. 

The guidelines for these shops will require face coverings and gloves, along with stricter sanitation measures on items such as tweezers and nail files. Workers will be encouraged to wear face shields and/or goggles. 

As with all reopening announcements, the guidelines are pending county approval. In Orange County, which has become the center of controversy, after the county’s health officer resigned due to threats against her personal safety, had its mandatory mask ordinance lifted by Interim Health Officer Dr. Clayton Chau last week.

The interim health officer also approved Orange County to reopen more gyms, bars and restaurants on June 12. The county will allow nail salons, tattoo parlors and waxing centers to reopen June 19.

Los Angeles County, which has generally lagged slightly behind the state in reopenings, has not announced whether it will be part of the latest stage.

In early May, Governor Gavin Newsom said that California’s first community spread of the coronavirus was in a nail salon, and it “worried” him as salons were already incorporating the use of gloves and masks in their practices.

In response, the Professional Beauty Federation of California sued the state of California to reopen hair and nail salons.

The Nailing It for America organization also believes that Newsom’s statements were damaging to the industry and could have lingering effects on it. 

“I hope that Gov. Gavin Newsom does address the fact that the coronavirus and the community spread did not start from a nail salon,” Christie Ngyuen of Nailing It for America told CBS. “The xenophobia that follows behind, the financial impacts of it, the stereotypes, the list goes on with that.”

As of Monday, 38,446 new cases have been reported in California over the last 14 days, with 838 resulting in death.

Despite the increase of total cases in California, the department of Public Health announced that the “positivity rate” has remained around 4.5 percent over a 14-day span, as of June 12. The percentage was reiterated Monday by Newsom.

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