CHULA VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) — The beauty industry is one of the many sectors that are being forced to shut down again after the state's new stay-at-home order goes into effect Sunday night.
Many business owners are frustrated, feeling as though they are being unfairly punished.
Open for now, but not for long. Instead of appointment confirmations, Boudoir Nail Bar in Chula Vista is making appointment cancellations again.
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"Literally, we are in limbo," owner, Nora Neff, said.
The salon has already had to shut down twice since March. Since then, Neff has had to invest thousands of dollars in personal protective equipment, sanitation supplies, and filtration devices. Each time she has lost income, staff, and hope.
"Obviously, we are not talking about profit because that's been long gone since March," Neff sighed. "We're just talking about survival."
Nail salons are just one of the many industries that are being forced to shut down completely starting 11:59 pm Sunday. According to the new State rules, they will be closed for at least three weeks.
Others industries that must shut down completely include:
- Hair salons and barbershops
- Personal care services
- Bars, breweries, distilleries, and wineries
- Museums, zoos, and aquariums
- Movie theaters and entertainment centers
- Indoor and outdoor playgrounds
- Cardrooms and satellite wagering
Customer, Stevie Jamison, says she feels lucky to get an appointment Saturday, right before the shutdown. But she feels terrible for the staff, who will become jobless again during the holidays.
"I'm here to support them and their business more than anything," Jamison said.
Supervisor Jim Desmond disagrees with the State's umbrella approach regarding the shutdown.
"Use a surgical method as opposed to a grenade, going in and shutting down an entire sector," Desmond said.
Neff suggests a case-by-case approach.
"Just do random inspections to random businesses," Neff said. "If people are not following the protocol, you shut those businesses down. It’s playing with people's lives at this point.”
Desmond released a statement on Saturday, saying in part he did not believe San Diego County should be included with several other Southern California counties:
"This 'regional' approach from the State of California is absurd. We are being lumped into the 'Southern California' region with jurisdictions as far as San Luis Obispo and Mono County. And, San Diego County is at 23% capacity, well above the 15% requirement. If you count our available overflow ICU beds then we are at 36% capacity. The Governor and State did not consult with San Diego County and unilaterally implemented a 'regional' approach that unfairly puts people out of work. Again, San Diego did not have an opportunity to review and provide input and did not agree to this system.
The State does not and cannot demonstrate how playgrounds, or barbershops, or fitness centers have caused significant spread. But they are shutting them down anyway, putting people out of work. The positivity rate for residents in San Diego County testing positive is, .03%. This does not warrant taking away people’s lives, proper education, and livelihoods. Let’s be responsible- continue to follow all the safety protocols, like the wearing masks and social distancing. San Diegans are doing that, and our numbers reflect a region that should not be shut down. San Diego has roughly the same population as entire states such as Utah, Iowa and Connecticut. To group us in with a 'Southern California Region' with San Luis Obispo, Mono County and Los Angeles is unfair and unwarranted.
The Governor is out of touch and punishing San Diegans. I’ll continue to fight for reasonable and fair response to COVID. Some action is warranted because cases, hospitalizations, and ICU bed use is increasing, however this is not the right response. We need to push for the best practices- social distancing, mask wearing, working from home as much as possible and we need to identify specific causes of spread and address them."