Salons hopeful hair and beauty care could soon make the cut on level 3

While there is no clarity about whether salons, spas and tattoo parlours will be allowed to operate during lockdown level 3, the beauty and hair industry is viewing the government's finalisation of guidelines as a sure sign of imminent reopening.

The government sent a letter to the Employers Organisation for Hairdressing, Cosmetology and Beauty (EOHCB) on Monday to advise it was finalising guidelines for the reopening of the industry.

In a statement on Facebook, the organisation said that because of the sensitivity and confidentiality of the matter,  the letter could not be published in full.

"However, it is evident that the protocols and/or guidelines are enjoying government’s urgent attention and will, once made available, allow personal care services to resume under alert level 3, subject to the implementation and execution of these protocols and/or guidelines," it said.

EOHCB national manager Cobus Grobler confirmed to TimesLIVE on Tuesday that the government had responded to the demand to introduce personal care services by saying it was working on the guidelines.

However, there had been no indication whether those guidelines are for operating under level 3.

"I am seeking clarity on which level in the lockdown, but we do know government is finalising the guidelines."

In the statement on Facebook, the organisation said it had engaged with the appropriate minister to reintroduce personal care services under level 3.

"Should this not happen in the near future, an urgent application will be launched to set aside such part of the regulations that prohibit personal care services from being rendered during level 3. As part of this process, the EOHCB’s legal representatives dispatched letters of demand to government, including the appropriate minister with whom the EOHCB has been dealing with directly.

"On June 1  a written response was dispatched by the ministry to the EOHCB’s legal representatives, among others, stating that the relevant department is in the process of drafting the necessary protocols and/or guidelines for the opening of business activities including hairdressing, beauty treatments, makeup, nail salons, piercing and tattoo parlours, for the resuming of these business operations. These protocols and/or guidelines are critical as they are intended to assist in the prevention of the spread of the coronavirus as well as to protect the lives of  workers and their clients. The department is expected to finalise the protocols and guidelines by the end of this week."