BEAUMONT, Texas — Doors to salons and barbershops across Texas swung open for the first time in nearly two months.
Phones were buzzing with people calling for appointments and the wait at some salons was hours. Among the first in line to get a fresh cut today was Texas Senator Ted Cruz.
While some salons in Southeast Texas are back in business, others have decided it's too soon and that the risk is too great to take a chance on reopening.
On a day when salons were reopening across the state, excitement and anticipation was building here at On Stage Hair Salon in Beaumont.
"It's just a great place to be, you see your friends, neighbors, your family," manager Carrie Falgout said.
It has been more than a month since salons like On Stage had their usual clients due to COVID-19 restrictions.
"I feel like a new person today," client Janice May said. "It's been somewhat depressing for me at times being shut in and isolated from people."
Unlike previous visits, new rules are in place such as social distancing being enforced and protective gear being worn.
"I don't want anyone to walk in here an feel unsafe and feel unsafe or feel threaten in anyway shape or form, so we've got hand sanitizer everywhere," Falgout said.
Across town at Lovie's Loving Touch salon, the doors were still closed. Shop manager Ryan David said he is not comfortable reopening, given the spike in COVID-19 cases across the state and the lack of supplies needed to comply with Governor Abbott's order.
"We just felt it was too soon to open back up," he said. "Till we get an adequate plan of action for you to open back up and not give us a new normal, a new set of guidelines operate by, it was a little half-baked."
David said he does plan to reopen at some point. When it happens, he hopes stylists and customers realize this is bigger than them.
"If you're not living for the person next to you by wearing the proper PPE, wearing your face mask, washing your hands, keeping sanitizer on hand, wearing gloves if you're a salon owner, wearing face shield, doing these type of things—you're living for your neighbor not just for yourself anymore," he said.
While the governor's order does allow salons to open, they are not required to do so. If you do go to a salon, understand that you will be asked to follow strict guidelines put in place for your safety.