San Luis Obispo County hair salons and barbershops may open for business beginning Monday, August 31, 2020, per authorization from the County Public Health Officer.
The change comes after Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) introduced the State’s new Blueprint for a Safer Economy, a color-coded, tiered framework for reducing COVID-19 and adjusting permitted sector activities to keep Californians healthy and safe.
“We needed a clearer path forward and this new framework offers that,” said Dr. Penny Borenstein, the County Public Health Officer. “According to the State’s new framework, hair salons and barbershops across the state may open indoors with modifications as early as Monday. Owners and staff should prepare to adhere to the State’s COVID-19 guidance.”
The Blueprint for a Safer Economy includes four tiers designed to loosen and tighten restrictions on activities and business operations. Each tier indicates a particular risk level:
- Purple (widespread) – Many non-essential indoor business operations are closed
- Red (substantial) – Some non-essential indoor business operations are closed
- Orange (moderate) – Some indoor business operations are open with modifications
- Yellow (minimal) – Most indoor business operations are open with modifications San Luis Obispo County currently falls under the purple “Widespread” risk level.
This framework lays out the measures that each county must meet, based on indicators that capture disease burden, testing, and health equity. A county may be more restrictive than this framework. This framework replaces the current County Data Monitoring List. Movement across the tiers are based on COVID-19 metrics such as new cases and positive test rates.
For updates on COVID-19 in SLO County, visit ReadySLO.org or call the recorded Public Health Information Line at (805) 788-2903. A staffed phone assistance center at (805) 543-2444 is available Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to assist with COVID-19 questions.