Coronavirus: Hongkongers rush to get haircuts as salons reopen, while shop owners and stylists worry about ‘inconsistent’ social-distancing policies
- Residents have welcomed the reopening of barber shops, but many say they are concerned about salons shutting down again
- Last month, residents said they were caught unprepared when city’s leader announced the salon closures
People also expressed concerns about salons having to close again, prompting them to prioritise scheduling a trim as soon as they heard about the reopening.
Last month, residents said they were caught unprepared as Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor announced hair salons would be closed for two weeks from February 9 under tightened social-distancing rules. She later further extended the ban to April 20, but shortened it earlier this month to Thursday.
At a Ma On Shan branch of QB House, a chain which specialises in 10-minute haircuts, almost 10 customers queued up for a trim on Thursday at noon. Most of them were men, with only one woman waiting in line.
Joe Wong, a 36-year-old nurse, said he had waited for two months to get a haircut. He spent his only day off during the week at the salon.
“I’ve already ordered an electronic razor and was prepared to shave my hair at home, but since salons have reopened, I’m here,” he said.
