Salon workers gathered at the intersection of Valencia Boulevard and McBean Parkway Saturday morning to protest the closure of indoor operations in salons.

“We have gathered salon workers and owners to get together to be heard. We have been shut down for the second time,” said Sandi Thomas, owner of Salon Bijoux in Canyon Country. 

This protest follows the re-closure of all indoor operations for beauty salons due to the coronavirus outbreak. 

On July 13, 2020 Governor Newsom closed indoor operations of fitness centers, places of worship, offices for non-critical sectors, personal care services, hair and nail salons, barbershops and malls. 

“We have specifically targeted our efforts to close indoor operations, and I want to reinforce this,” Newsom said during a conference.

These businesses listed by Newsom are still able to operate outdoors, according to the state.

However, Thomas added that working outside has its own challenges, including proper sanitation in an outside environment and the heat. This adds to the already complex sanitation precautions being taken by hair salons. 

“There are 1600 hours necessary to complete becoming a cosmetologist. Three quarters of that is on sanitation. We’ve done everything the CDC is asking us to do,” Thomas said. “We have trained for hours and hours. We give up all these things to take care of other people, and now we have to work outside?”

Multiple businesses have been struggling during the coronavirus closures and many have been forced to close their doors because of financial hardships caused by the coronavirus pandemic. 

“I can speak for myself and other people. It was hard when it hit the first time. It took time to figure out what we needed to do,” Thomas said. “We stayed pretty positive. When we were allowed to reopen we were so excited.”

The second closure and being forced to work outside has brought a new emotional challenge for the owners and workers at hair salons. 

“The second time around was very different. There was a lot of crying, sadness and depression,” Thomas said. “We want to be open. We want to be able to do what we do. We are here to get support from everyone. We hope they hear us.”

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