Beauty & hair to close under Level 5 lockdown

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has announced that beauty, hair and complementary therapy sectors must close under a Level 5 national lockdown from midnight on Wednesday (21st October) for six weeks to help reduce the rise in Coronavirus cases.

Border counties of Donegal, Monaghan and Cavan entered Level 4 last week, which has meant the closure of hair and beauty in those areas already.

Under the new Level 5 restrictions, beauty and hair salons, spas, nail bars and complementary therapy clinics across the Republic will be closed, and mobile hairdressers, therapists and nail techs will be unable to operate in clients' homes. 

The move follows advice from the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet).

Restrictions will be reviewed after four weeks, and are expected to be lifted on a county by county basis, depending upon local infection rates, with the hope that lower level restrictions will be in place for December.

Financial assistance is to be made available to businesses forced to close and for employees who are unable to work due to COVID-19 Level 5 restrictions, including an increase in the Pandemic Unemployment Payment and new rates for the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme, in addition to the COVID Restrictions Support Scheme announced recently. 

Full details on nationwide restrictions can be found on the gov.ie website.

Published: 21.10 19.10.2020