Our industry, more than many others, has made sacrifices for the good of the Australian public. Clinics and salons were shut during the very early rounds of restrictions and, as a service sector, options for online sales are limited.
This was a sacrifice that was and is necessary. None of us wishes to see anyone get sick or worse, and we all understand that the stakes are high.
Today, the National Cabinet met and determined that restrictions are to stay in place for another four weeks. We think that after this period, our industry should be considered as one of the first “off the blocks,” for re-opening.
We have created a petition, addressed to the Prime Minister and all the State Premiers, which outlines our reasons for requesting a re-opening. These include the hygiene practices that we routinely undertake, the one-on-one nature of our businesses and the opportunity to provide an increased sense of normality to a community which has been rocked to its core by COVID-19.
Importantly, we are not asking for preferential treatment, or for the advice of health professionals to be ignored; quite the opposite. It is absolutely crucial that no restrictions are lifted until qualified medical professionals deem it safe to do so. But, for many reasons, including those listed above, the beauty industry should be part of the re-opening conversation.
The petition has already gathered over 100 signatures, and we aim to send it to the Prime Minister and Premiers in three weeks. To add your name to the growing list, regardless of whether you are a business owner, manager, practitioner or just someone who believes that this is the right thing to do, click the link below.
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