JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Men across our area are breathing a sigh of relief.
Governor Ron DeSantis gave barbershop, nail salon and hair salon owners the green light to open their doors to customers today.
Action News Jax Courtney Cole visited local barbershop and salon, Platinum Cutts Barber and Beauty Unlimited, to learn about the unique ownership and how it plays a part in what they’re doing to keep customers safe.
The sound and feel of clippers is like a little bit of heaven, and normalcy, for clients returning to Platinum Cutts Barber and Beauty Unlimited on Jacksonville’s Southside.
"It feels great to be back in action!" exclaimed Lamont Foy.
Foy, is one of the owners of the shop.
Here’s what makes the shop unique: the other owner is a doctor.
"I specialize on the barber-styling side of things, and my wife being a physician she is just awesome. She’s been great throughout this process. She’s definitely a go-to!” Foy told Cole.
Dr. Tra'chella Johnson, a primary care physician at Baptist Primary Care, told me they want to do everything in a very careful and sanitary way.
“We came in and removed all of the loose items that can hold germs or bacteria on its surfaces,” Dr. Johnson said.
"As far as the barbers and stylists: we all have goggles, we also have facemasks, we have visors and we also have antibacterial cleaning solutions on every station,” Foy added.
Barbers will be sweeping and cleaning up their stations in between each customer, as well.
"We also made sure that everyone was tested and negative before they came back into the barbershop,” Dr. Johnson told Action News Jax.
Dr. Johnson also told Cole clients will no longer be allowed to wait inside the shop for their appointment.
"What you’re going to see is one customer at a time, per stylist or barber,” Johnson said.
Before customers can walk-in for a service, they will have to:
- Wait in their cars until they receive a text that the barber is ready for their appointment
- Have their temperature checked
- Wash their hands before any services are rendered
The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation laid out mandatory regulations, including:
- Requiring all employees to wear masks while performing personal services
- Requiring customers to make appointments
- Allowing for at least 15 minutes between the end of one appointment and the beginning of the next, for the purpose of disinfecting
The most important thing they want clients to remember is this: “As much as they want to get their hair done, as much as they need a fresh tape up and shade, if they are ill they should stay home,” said Dr. Johnson.
In addition to the guidelines put in place by Governor DeSantis, Foy & Johnson told Cole there is another set of rules they must follow from the state barber’s board.
Johnson said many of those rules are already pretty strict when it comes to infection control.
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