No Walk-ins, Lots Of Disinfectant — State Releases Rules For Close-Contact Business To Reopen Next Week

Tennessee’s Economic Recovery Group unveiled new reopening guidelines today for close contact services, including hair salons, nail spas and massage parlors.

Gov. Bill Lee signed an executive order Tuesday allowing such businesses can open in most of the state on May 6.

The decision, which House Republican Caucus Chairman Jeremy Faison first broadcast to the public on Twitter Wednesday morning, comes less than a week after Lee said that such businesses wouldn’t be able to open “for at least a couple more weeks.”

“Barbershops, salons, tattoo, massage, services that are virtually impossible to socially distance while delivering. We’re gonna get those open as soon as we can,” he said at a press briefing last Friday. “But we want to make sure that we have appropriate guidance in place and that we have an adequate supply of masks and gloves and other PPE before those businesses can open.”

ATTENTION: Barbers, Beauticians, Nail Salons, and Massage Therapists

After a call with the Governor of TN this morning, your businesses will be able to OPEN May 6. Guidelines for opening will be announced tomorrow 4/30. Stay tuned for more info.

— Jeremy Faison (@JeremyFaison4TN) April 29, 2020

Lee said in a statement today that the new guidelines will allow businesses to “serve customers in a thoughtful and safe manner.” The recommendations include:

• Operate at 50% capacity, with “strict social distancing between customers,”
• No walk-ins,
• Keep workstations six feet apart,
• Prohibit use of waiting areas,
• Thoroughly disinfect workstations and equipment between each customer,
• Require customers and employees to wear cloth face masks at all times, and
• Screen customers and employees for illness before they enter the facility.

Some services will be phased in over time, like beard shavings and facials, which would require customers to remove their face masks. The guidelines don’t specify what those phases are, or how long they’ll last.

According to the governor’s office, more than 38,000 employees will be able to return to work when close-contact services resume next week in all but the state’s six counties with their own health departments.