KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Body care services in Independence will be prohibited starting next week.
Mayor Eileen Weir announced that hair salons, nail salons, barbers, tattoo and piercing shops and massage providers must shut down services that require contact with customers at the close of business Sunday in an effort to tamp down the spread of COVID-19 and encourage social distancing.
Retail sales at those shops may continue and medically necessary services, including physical therapy, aren’t impacted.
“As we see this virus continue to spread across the country, it is important that we further limit person-to-person contact while enforcing social distancing,” Weir said in a statement from the city. “This is not a decision we take lightly. We know there are economic repercussions in our area for these decisions and we are working with the Chamber of Commerce to plan for recovery appropriately. These types of services are more likely to transmit illness due to the unavoidable close person-to-person contact.”
Some workers in the body care services industry have started to express fear about continuing to work, but many also feared losing their job by not doing so.
The prohibitions, much like Independence’s closure of bars and restaurants for in-person gathering or dining, will be enforced through at least March 31.
“We would also like to thank our bars and restaurants for their voluntary compliance during this challenging time,” Weir said. “Our community efforts are making an impact to protect our neighbors and visitors.”
Find out more about Independence’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
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