Reopening after months, salons turn a blind eye to precautions

Prayagraj: The number of novel coronavirus (Covid-19) cases might be rising in the city, but salons and barber shops in Prayagraj are yet to realise the importance of safety measures. As they reopen after months after remaining shut during the lockdown, employees in many of these shops are seen working without wearing masks or personal protection equipment (PPE) kits or maintaining social distancing — as mandated by the district administration.
Most barbers opened their shops on June 1, after lockdown curbs were relaxed. The district administration had also issued safety guidelines which these salons, beauty parlours and barbers were supposed to follow .
As per the guidelines, workers in these shops had to wear PPE kits, gloves and masks and, would have to maintain hygiene within the shops. They were not allowed to use the same towel or apron twice and sanitize all equipment and furniture after every use.
However, most salons were seen turning a blind eye to these rules. The few shops following the guidelines were mostly in upscale localities like Civil Lines.
In rural areas, many barbers were seen giving their customers a haircut without wearing masks or gloves.
“When we were allowed to open the shop, my senior told me to buy all accessories required to keep me and the customers safe from Covid-19. I always wear gloves and a mask while entertaining customers,” said Abhishek, a barber in Sulem Sarai area.
While Abhishek might be aware of the precautions required to keep the disease at bay, many like Ramkhelawan of Pipalgoan area are not. “We have been doing our business like this for several years and no one has had any complains, I won’t be able to use scissors or a comb if I wear a PPE kit or a face mask,” Ramkhelawan said.
The lack of concern about being infected can also be seen among several barbers who function on the roadside in areas like Gaughat.
ADM (city) AK Kanojia said, “Now that the issue has been brought to our notice, we will take action and ensure that no one takes these instructions lightly as salons or beauty parlours are vulnerable to an outbreak.”