Solano County Reopens Hair Salons, Barbershops, Places Of Worship

Maggie Fusek
·3 min read

SOLANO COUNTY, CA — Solano County public health officials have amended the county's shelter-at-home order giving barbershops and hair salons permission to reopen immediately if they meet specific guidelines outlined in the updated health order.

The California Department of Public Health made the announcement yesterday, giving counties that have attested to meeting the criteria for accelerated reopening, including Solano County, permission to reopen barbershops and hair salons to perform haircuts, hair colorings, blowouts, weaves, extensions, braiding, lock maintenance, wig maintenance and hair relaxing treatments – provided both the client and the employee wear face coverings throughout the service.

Certain salon activities, including shaving, facial waxing, threading, eyelash services and facials remain prohibited in all counties, as they require the employee to have direct contact with a client’s face, county officials said Thursday.

"We are fortunate to reopen these businesses in Solano County," said Dr. Bela Matyas, health officer for Solano County. "However, as more sectors reopen, it is critical that community members adhere to precautions including having good hand hygiene, staying home when ill, and maintaining physical distancing when out in public settings."

Certain safety measures must be implemented by barbershops and hair salons before they can reopen. These include but are not limited to: ensuring physical distancing between employees and clients; using appropriate face coverings; and increasing cleaning and sanitation measures.

Places of Worship Given Permission To Reopen

Places of worship in Solano County, including churches, synagogues, mosques and any other religious gathering places, also have permission to reopen immediately as long as health and safety measures recommended by the state of California are reviewed and followed, according to Matthew Davis, spokesman for the county of Solano. Places of worship must also implement the county's social distancing protocol and it must be made available to staff and the public.

The county's protocols for places of worship and for all businesses, including barbershops and hair salons, can be found on the County’s Roadmap to Recovery website.

Coronavirus In Solano County

There have been 21 coronavirus-related deaths in the county. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Solano County was 502 Wednesday afternoon, with 66 active cases and 19 people currently hospitalized.

The county says 10,702 residents have been tested for the virus.

Here is number of positive cases per city:

  • Benicia: 23

  • Dixon: 11

  • Fairfield: 96

  • Rio Vista: Fewer than 10

  • Suisun City: 25

  • Vacaville: 51

  • Vallejo: 286

  • Unincorporated: Fewer than 10

The county says members of the public can get tested for the coronavirus regardless of symptoms at two state-operated testing sites that are available to anyone in Solano County.

"As Solano County moves to relax its Stay-at-Home health order, we encourage all residents to continue to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, California Department of Public Health and Solano County Public Health social distancing best practices, including wearing a cloth face mask outside your home whenever physical distancing cannot be maintained, maintaining a physical distance of six-feet from others, practicing coughing and sneezing etiquette, using a hand sanitizer or washing your hands for at least 20 seconds and to stay at home if you’re not feeling well. Businesses that are permitted to reopen must abide by the social distancing requirements in the County’s and State’s Orders," Davis said.

This article originally appeared on the Benicia Patch