Coronavirus: Orange County authorizes reopening of nail salons and other personal care services Friday
Customers and employees still will be required to wear face coverings, the county's acting public health director said.
SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) -- Orange County health and elected officials on Thursday announced that personal care services that were temporarily shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic will be allowed to reopen Friday.
The types of businesses that will be able to resume operations include nail salons, piercing and tattoo parlors, massage parlors and skin-care services, said Dr. Clayton Chau, the county's acting public health officer. Chau noted that customers and employees will be required to wear face coverings, among other health guidelines that will be mandated to be in place.
Chau said he made his decision to allow such businesses in the personal care industry after he and other officials took into account current data and metrics on disease transmission and hospitalizations throughout the county.
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The announcement came about two hours after the California Department of Public Health started requiring people throughout the state to wear masks in most indoor settings and outdoors when distancing isn't possible.
"Science shows that face coverings and masks work," Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement about the new order. "They are critical to keeping those who are around you safe, keeping businesses open and restarting our economy."
Orange County officials said they were reviewing the state's mandate to ensure that the county's guidance on face coverings did not conflict with California's.
The previous public health officer in Orange County, Dr. Nichole Quick, resigned last week after she faced threats over her order that people wear masks, and Sheriff Don Barnes said he wouldn't enforce it. Los Angeles County requires people to wear masks when outside their homes, as do San Francisco and Santa Clara counties.
The state's news release announcing the mask order didn't say how it would be enforced or what the penalty would be for people who don't comply.
The order was praised by Mike Lyster, a spokesman for the city of Anaheim, who said in an email that the statewide order eliminates inconsistencies in local orders.
Mayor Katrina Foley of Costa Mesa said the state's decision will take pressure off some businesses by making it clear that masks are required.
Her city has required facial coverings even as the surrounding county has gone back and forth between ordering, and recommending, that masks be worn.
"Nobody wants to have to arrest people for not wearing a facial covering. We just want people to care about others, so people don't die," she said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
