Cutting it close despite COVID-19

Posted on: Staff Writer

From edition: May 8 2020 Strathmore times

By Sean Feagan, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Two salons in Strathmore, Main Street Barber and Shear Bliss Family Hair Care, were ordered to shut down by Alberta Health Services on April 27 after being found offering services to customers despite the province’s rules on non-essential businesses during COVID-19. Main Street Barber still had signage advertising phone numbers for appointments posted to their door as of May 5 at 11 a.m., despite being ordered by AHS on April 27 to “Remove signage advertising phone numbers for appointment and cease all services to clients under any circumstance.”

Adelle Ellis Photo

Two Strathmore businesses were operating on a razor’s edge by advertising their services despite ongoing restrictions because of COVID-19 – and now face the brunt of Alberta Health Services (AHS) as a result.

Back on March 27, the province announced a public health order enacting restrictions on the operation of “close contact” businesses, including those providing non-essential health and beauty care, such as hair salons. The order, supported by the state of public health emergency declared on March 17, prohibits Albertans from accessing “most” personal services, including hairstyling and barbering.

Not everyone was following these orders, it seems.

On April 27, Shear Bliss Family Hair Care and the Main Street Barber, two Strathmore-based hair cutting businesses, received “notice of closure” orders from AHS for advertising services during the shutdown.

A site inspection of Main Street Barber found the business was “offering client services at the salon by inviting clients to meet in (the) alley and come through (the) back door” and had “signage posted on (the) door advertising” that it was “accepting appointments.” A “call for an appointment” sign was found in the window of Shear Bliss, according to a separate but similar notice.

Each notice requires the respective business owner to immediately close the premises, remove all advertisements for appointments, cease all services to clients and remain closed until the order is rescinded by an AHS executive officer.

A communications representative from AHS declined to comment further on the matter.

The notice of closure orders were issued just days before the province announced that some personal services can begin operation on May 14, including hairstyling and barber shops.