SAN DIEGO (AP/KGTV) — During the pandemic, Corinne Lam and her stylist husband saw the income from their San Diego hair salon slashed by two-thirds while they struggled with unpaid medical bills and an uncertain future.
Now, the 36-year-old said her phone is ringing off the hook with customers seeking appointments as she prepares to reopen her doors.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday hair salons, barbershops, and nail salons can resume operations and Lam's already booked out at least three weeks.
RELATED: Several San Diego County businesses to reopen indoors with limits under new guidance
Salotto Salon is one of many businesses walloped by the whiplash of closings and reopenings and seemingly ever-changing guidance and rules about how to keep workers and customers safe from the coronavirus.
Under San Diego County's current tier, "substantial" spread, many businesses are allowed to reopen starting Aug. 31 with indoor modifications, including capacity limits and safety precautions. Hair salons, barbershops, and nail salons did not have any capacity limits noted in the state's new guidance.
In order for San Diego County to move up a tier, it must stay in tier two for at least three weeks. Then to move up, it must meet the next tier's criteria for two consecutive weeks. If the county's metrics worsen for two consecutive weeks, it will be moved to a more restrictive tier.
RELATED: San Diego County reports six new community outbreaks in food processing, business settings
"This time what we hope will happen, but it relies on people's behavior, is that as we are opening up 25% or 50% of capacity, not full 100%," county public health officer Dr. Wilma Wooten said on Friday. "As we see issues people should also be clear that we will shut down entities if they are not following the guidelines and if there are particularly outbreaks occurring as a result of not following those non-pharmaceutical strategies."
California's full guidance for each business sector can be read online here.
Amy Taxin, of the Associated Press, contributed to this report.
