Question 1

Is the healthysalonsproject.org website affliated with any federal or state government websites?

Accepted Answer

No.  Our website contains information that was gathered from credible sources such as the federal government websites (e.g., CDC, EPA), academic institutions, and professional organizations in order to provide the nail community the most accurate information as possible.  Our research team has received funding from the CDC/NIOSH and internal grant from Drexel University.  The content is solely the responsiblity of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of our funders nor the organizations where we got the information from.  The website is solely for informational purposes.

Question 2

Are the recommendations from your website legal requirements?

Accepted Answer

It depends.  Please check your state specific guidelines to learn about your state COVID-19 requirements.  Some states may have less or more requirements than others. However, implementing all of these measures will help business establishments protect their employees and clients. Salon owners should decide what measures are feasbile to implement at your salons and required by your state to ensure that you are providing the best protection to yourself, your employees and clients.

Question 3

Is it necessary to implement ALL the recommendations in the guidance?

Accepted Answer

Salon owners and employees should decide what recommendations feasible to implement at your salon and are also compliant with your state's requirements.  We encourage salons to follow as many as possible in order to provide the best protection for yourself, your employees, clients, and business.

Question 4

When can I reopen my salons and return to work?

Accepted Answer

You should check your state's governor's website and department of health for updates and requirements for opening because each state has different plans and requirements.  We currently have information for limited number of states on our webste (Reopening by state). Some states may many requirements while others none at all.  If you are unsure about your state, you can send us an email and we can try to find the information for you.

Question 5

How long should I follow this guideline?

Accepted Answer

We recommend that you continue to follow the provided guideline for as long as COVID-19 is still identified as a health threat to the communities.

Question 6

If the customers do not comply, what should we do? Can we refuse service?"

Accepted Answer

You have the right to refuse service if a customer refuses to comply (i.e., refusing to wear a mask inside a salon).  In order to avoid confrontational situations, you can politely inform the customer about the new salon's policy for their protection in advance and offer a mask for the customer if they happen to forget to bring one.

Question 7

What kind of documents do we need from the doctors to allow employees to go back to work.

Accepted Answer

It could be just a simple note from the nurse.  During the pandemic, it is possible that health clinics are quite overwhelmed now so it might be difficult to get a doctor's note.  The salon owners and employee should communicate with each other and determine when it is safe to return to work in accordance to the CDC guidance for self-isolation.

Question 8

How can we know the customers are not infected with COVID-19 before giving them service?

Accepted Answer

It can be hard to tell if someone is infected with COVID-19, especially those who do not show symptoms at all.  Most infected people, however, usually have symptoms such as cough, fever, headache, etc...  That is why we recommend that you screen customers using the questionaire and temperature check.  Though we may not completely screen out unsymptomatic individuals, the screening process will help reduce the risk of sick people being out and infect others.

Question 9

If there are known COVID-19 cases (employees or customers) in the salon, how can we disinfect the salon?"

Accepted Answer

We have provided guidelines on how to safely clean and disinfect your nail salons in the case that you receive notifications about a customer and/or employee’s having positive COVID-19 result. Please review “Cleaning and Disinfecting Nail Salons” section of our website for more details.

Question 10

Do we have to pay to receive support from healthy salon project?

Accepted Answer

No.  If you have questions or need support for your salons, please email us.

Question 11

If the employees have to quarantine and stay home because of COVID-19, does the government give nail salon owners money to support the employees?"

Accepted Answer

We are not aware of programs that provide financial support to nail salon owners in this case.  Nail salon employees, however, may be eligible to receive unemployment benefits or worker compensation in some states.  Please contact with your state unemployment benefits.  The federal government and some states may have loans and grants that small business owners like nail salon owners can apply for financial assistance such as this new SBA grants and loans program and also this COVID-19 relieaf grants program for small businesses in Pensylvania.