ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Hairstylists and barbers are gearing up to be back at work on May 1, but there’s still a question as to whether or not those businesses will re-open.
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“I’ve been working all my life,” Maria Garvey said. “This is the longest I’ve been off any job.”
Garvey has a booth at Salon lofts in St. Petersburg. She hasn’t stepped foot in the building or worked on her clients’ hair in over a month.
“This is insane,” she said.
Salon Lofts is one of the thousands of businesses forced to close in order to flatten the curve of the coronavirus, which has killed more than 1,000 Floridians.
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Maria understands why state and local leaders made the decision to shut down all non-essential businesses, but she’s ready to get back to work.
“I miss my people and they miss coming into the salon.”
Garvey has spent the last few days stocking up on her hair products and safety equipment, like masks, gloves and disinfectant spray.
“I want to make sure that I'm so, and so are my clients,” said Garvey.
If Salon Lofts able to re-open, they have asked their stylists to have their clients make appointments to limit the number of people inside the salon at a time. And because the stylists work in their own rooms, they’re being asked to keep their doors closed.
