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Some California salons reopen in defiance of Gov. Newsom’s orders during pandemic
LOS ANGELES - Up and down the state of California, salons opened their doors on Monday.
They reopened despite a statewide order by Governor Gavin Newsom banning indoor salon services.
The governor said doors must remain closed in order to combat COVID-19.
The rebellion was led by a salon owner in Northern California. Shay Flick, who owns "ReWAXation" in the Bay Area, organized the campaign.
And Monday evening she told FOX 11 hundreds of salon owners in California had followed her lead.
In fact, in Claremont, FOX 11 found the "Kut Haus Salon" open, and busy on Monday afternoon.
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The owner took care to have safety measures in place: face masks, temperatures are taken, and safe distancing while services were given.
Victor Valverde choked up when he told FOX 11's Laura Diaz, "there's got to be somebody who says enough is enough."
All of the hairstylist's FOX 11 talked to told us after months of not being able to work, they were hanging on financially by a thread.
They had nothing left to lose and chose to defy the state mandate. Clients said they felt safe and were eager to get their hair done.
What the ramifications are for ignoring the order remains to be seen. Some people said punishment could simply be a citation.
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Others said you could lose your operating license. While we were interviewing Flick on FaceTime, the San Francisco health department knocked at her salon door.
FOX 11 listened as the health department told her, "Unfortunately, right now in San Francisco, personal service businesses are not being allowed to operate."
She responded, "I know. And I'm going to operate."
The city and county department of health officials then handed her an order to close, which she promptly refused to sign.
FOX 11 spoke to her again after the hair raising incident.
She appeared unruffled. She said she would be open again tomorrow for indoor services.