What you need to know about barbershop, salon reopenings in Florida

Gov. Ron DeSantis posted a video Friday featuring Orlando barbershop owner John Henry, who announced that starting Monday, barbershops, hair salons and nail salons will be allowed to reopen in most of the state after being shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Here are answers to frequently asked questions about Gov. DeSantis plan to reopen barbershops and salons.

When does Executive Order 20-120 go into effect?

Executive Order 20-120 is effective on Monday, May 11, 2020, at 12:01 a.m.

Which professions does Executive Order 20-120 allow to reopen and provide services?

Holders of the following state-issued barber or cosmetology licenses may provide services at establishments that adopt appropriate social distancing and precautionary measures directed in Executive Order 20-120: Barber; Restricted Barber; Cosmetologist; Nail Specialist; Facial Specialist; Full Specialist; Hair Braider; Hair Wrapper; and Body Wrapper. These license holders are permitted to perform the barbering or cosmetology services as authorized by their respective license or registration.

Are any barber or cosmetology licenses not authorized to reopen pursuant to the order?

Holders of a barbering or cosmetology license located in Broward or Miami-Dade are not authorized to provide services under the provisions of Executive Order 20-120. The restrictions of Executive Order 20-112 remain in effect for Broward and Miami-Dade Counties.   Future allowances for services in Broward and Miami-Dade remain under consideration in consultation with local leadership.

Must businesses limit capacity in the barbershop or salon?

Barbershops and salons must manage capacity of the premises based on an appointment-only schedule and must allow at least 15 minutes between the conclusion of an appointment and the beginning of the next appointment for proper disinfecting practices. Barbershops and salons should take necessary action to limit gatherings in waiting areas prior to and following appointments to the extent necessary to promote appropriate social distancing. Barbershops and salons are encouraged to adopt means of limiting patrons waiting for appointments, such as calling patrons from a waiting vehicle or outdoor waiting area once an available service station is cleaned, prepared, and ready for service of the next patron.

Are any restrictions in effect for the waiting area of a barbershop or cosmetology salon?

Barbershops and salons should remove all unnecessary, frequent-touch items, such as magazines, newspapers, service menus, and any other unnecessary paper products and décor from customer service areas. These businesses should take necessary action to limit gatherings of patrons in waiting areas to the extent necessary to promote appropriate social distancing.

The order prohibits group appointments. What constitutes a group for purposes of the order?

Executive Order 20-120 restricts appointments to individuals only. Where multiple individuals are seeking joint or co-scheduled appointments to obtain services as a party at the same appointment time, barbershops and salons should restrict the number of individual appointments to the number of available service stations that can be responsibly accommodated while maintaining appropriate social distancing.

Must a barbershop or cosmetology salon limit hours of operation?

No. Executive Order 20-120 does not restrict the hours of operation of a barbershop or salon. License holders are encouraged to monitor any local government restrictions that may impact the hours of operation of businesses in their area.

Are licensed professionals required to wear a mask when providing services in the barbershop or salon? How long will the requirement of wearing a mask be in effect?

Yes, a mask must be worn by an employee while providing personal services in the barbershop or salon. The requirement to wear a mask while providing services remains in effect until a subsequent order modifies or rescinds this precautionary measure.

Do licensed professionals have to wear a particular type of mask while providing services?

No.

Are licensed professionals required to wear gloves or any other personal protective equipment other than a mask when providing services in the barbershop or salon?

No.

Are patrons required to wear masks while obtaining services in the barbershop or salon?

No. However, barbershops and salons are encouraged to consider providing unworn masks to clients for use during their appointment. As a private business, barbershops and salons may adopt their own policies requiring the use of a mask by patrons obtaining services.

Are any other measures expected of barbershops or salons? Are any other measures recommended?

Yes. Barbershops and salons should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected prior to reopening, and disinfection practices should be repeated, at minimum, between each day of operation. All surfaces, tools, and linens should be disinfected, even if the items were cleaned before the barbershop or salon was closed.

Barbershops and salons also should take all reasonable steps to ensure that the shop and individual service areas are maintained and operated in a safe and sanitary manner, including particular attention and adherence to existing Florida sanitation regulations applicable to these services and these locations as promulgated in Rule 61G3-19.011 (Barbershop Requirements) and Rule 61G5-20.002 (Salon Requirements), Florida Administrative Code.

How will the restrictions in Executive Order 20-120 be enforced?

The Department of Business and Professional Regulation maintains routine inspection practices at licensed barbershops and salons, which will continue during the effect of this order. The Department will incorporate the restrictions of this order in compliance inspection activities.