THE HAIR and beauty industry has welcomed the lifting of an 'unfair' five-client cap, which was among a raft of COVID-19 restrictions eased on Monday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The new freedoms came after NSW hit the 80 per cent double-dosed vaccination target on Saturday, however all businesses must still operate under the one person per four square metre rule indoors.
Tamworth hair salon Tribecca & Co owner, Rebecca Trigg, said having the cap scrapped was a relief, with the five person limit essentially cutting her business in half.
"We just got up-and-going again since we got locked down, and it really didn't make sense for us to only be allowed five clients when we've got such a big area," she told the Leader.
"It didn't matter what size the salons were, it was a five cap rule for everyone, but then the pubs, clubs and restaurants could have limits based on the size of their premises."
The size of her salon means she has the capacity to fit 15 clients in at once, however ordinarily caps clients to ten at a time.
"We've got a really big salon - 36 metres by four metres - so at any one time I can have up to 15 clients if I wanted to in the hairdressing and the beauty side."
READ ALSO:
The mask rule also remains in place for the industry, something Ms Trigg described as especially tricky.
"It's difficult, it's hard with cutting, we're changing our ways," she explained.
"We're getting talented at cutting around the masks, but in saying that it doesn't really make sense because we can give them a drink and they can take their mask off and then we can cut as normal."
While many salons are celebrating, for smaller businesses the easing of restrictions will mean little change with the one person per four square metre rule still in place.
Halo Beauty & Cosmetic Tattoo manager Remi said the business is taking a "very careful approach" with only "one and a half therapists" on at a time.
"We are still being careful with clients at the moment and trying to only have two clients in at a time," she said.
For a number of Tamworth salons, the space restrictions have limited their clients to under five at any one time, meaning the rule had little impact.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark northerndailyleader.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News