Covid-19: beauty salons in Scotland could reopen April 26
Close contact services, such as beauty salons and mobile beauty businesses, in Scotland could reopen their doors on April 26 as part of the Scottish Government’s coronavirus roadmap, while hairdressers and barbershops may be able to reopen from April 5 on an appointment-only basis (this date does not apply to mobile hairdressers).
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced this news in an address on March 16, where she made a statement giving greater detail on Scotland’s route out of Covid-19 lockdown.
Sturgeon said that these reopening dates are not definitive and will depend on how well the pandemic is being contained in Scotland and how well the vaccine rollout is going.
The National Hair & Beauty Federation (NHBF) stated in a press release today (March 17) that from April 26 all parts of Scotland in Level 4 will move down to a modified Level 3, which means the following can resume/reopen:
- Working in people’s homes, including mobile hair and beauty services (they cannot operate until this date)
- Beauty and nail services (including make-up)
- Hair removal
- Tattoo, piercing and body modification
- Massage therapies
- Complementary and alternative medicine services requiring physical contact or close physical proximity between persons, but not osteopathy and chiropractic services
- Spa and wellness services
- Other services or procedures which require physical contact or close physical proximity between a provider and a customer and are not ancillary to medical, health, or social care services.
Sturgeon said the Government was on track to hit the target of giving a first dose of vaccine to all priority groups, including "a significant majority of Scotland's adult population", by mid-April.
The country’s “stay at home” order will be lifted on April 2 but Sturgeon is urging people to “stay local” for a further three weeks. From April 26, the travel ban will be lifted and the country will return to a Covid-19 levels system. Read our guide to Scotland’s five-level system of coronavirus restrictions here.
This news means that the beauty industry in Scotland will be opening later than other parts of the country – with beauty salons and spas in England predicted to reopen on April 12. This is the same date predicted for beauty salons in Wales, while hairdressers and barbers in the country reopened on March 15.
Industry reactions:
Richard Lambert, NHBF chief executive, said: “Obviously we're delighted that hair salons and barbershops can reopen on April 5, but we cannot understand why those offering beauty services have to wait until Apri 26. The Scottish Government has offered no scientific or medical evidence to support a staggered decision.
"Scottish hair and beauty businesses were hit harder than those in any other part of the UK, losing more than half of their turnover in 2020, yet still having to pay to keep their premises ready to return to. Even with all the financial support, the situation for many is now beyond precarious. They have already been closed for such a long time that they may not survive to reopen.”
The NHBF is pushing for further financial support for businesses which either will face a significant shortfall or for whom it is not financially viable to reopen if they cannot offer full services.
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