SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Reopening Glam Hair and Nail Crafters only for hair services isn't enough to keep owner, Jocelyn Duong above water.
70% of her revenue comes from nail services, and the Elk Grove small business owner is trying to make sense of the differing state restrictions that keep her from fully re-opening.
"[It’s] really a struggle for us. [I’m] really frustrated,” said Duong.
Personal services such as tattooing, waxing, and nail salons are held back from reopening state-wide.
For the past three months, Duong says her family has struggled to pay their mortgage. She can't qualify for unforgivable federal loans since her nail technicians can't come back on payroll.
“I think every nail salon owner, they already prepared and [are] ready to open,” she said, pointing out the shield, masks, and handwashing stations in her salon.
Advocates say by nature, the industry is accustomed to strict sanitizing guidelines, and they’re calling out the governor for blaming a nail salon for the state's first coronavirus case. It was a statement mentioned by state officials during a meeting last week, according to industry leader Tam Nguyen of Advance Beauty College.
"It was understood from the call that the first case of COVID-19 did not come from a nail salon,” said Nguyen.
Last month, Governor Gavin Newsom made the statement, without identifying the salon, citing privacy concerns. State officials have not responded to a request for clarification.
“Where’s the proof? When, where, what salon?” Duong said.
A group of nail salons have filed a second lawsuit against the state in an effort to get people back to work with proper modifications. However, some Sacramento area technicians say they can't wait.
ABC10 spoke to Nha, a nail technician offering services to close friends. The single mother didn't want to to give her last name in fear of retaliation.
She says that she has struggled to put food on the table and pay rent, and that the restrictions have hurt her Vietnamese community.
According to Nguyen, 80% of the 11,000 nail salons in the state are owned by Vietnamese-Americans.
"Hair and nails, there's nothing different. I don't know why the governor [doesn't] let the nail salons open. We want to work,” Nha said.
ABC10 reached out for more clarification on why nail salons are still deemed to high-risk to reopen, but the message has not been returned.
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