Hair today, none tomorrow as Chattanooga shuts down barbers and stylists to stop COVID-19 virus

Staff photo by Troy Stolt / Nail technician and permanent makeup specialist Nikki Stevens cleans up after getting done with a client at Southside Salon and Spa on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 in Chattanooga, Tenn. Like other barbershops and salons around Chattanooga, Southside Salon and Spa will have to close its doors tomorrow to adhere with Mayor Berke's Executive Order 2020-04, which orders businesses that cannot properly implement social distancing practices to shut down until April 16 at the earliest in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19. Staff photo by Troy Stolt / Nail technician and permanent makeup specialist Nikki Stevens cleans up after getting done with a client at Southside Salon and Spa on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 in Chattanooga, Tenn. Like other barbershops and salons around Chattanooga, Southside Salon and Spa will have to close its doors tomorrow to adhere with Mayor Berke's Executive Order 2020-04, which orders businesses that cannot properly implement social distancing practices to shut down until April 16 at the earliest in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19.

By Patrick MacCoon March 24, 2020 3 min read

Thanks to coronavirus, tasks that used to seem ordinary are now banned.

Getting a haircut, for example.

Barber shops, hair salons and beauty shops in Chattanooga have to close temporarily as of Wednesday at 12 a.m., according to an executive order by Mayor Andy Berke on Monday. Berke’s order mandated that all “non-essential” businesses in the city temporarily close to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Southside Salon & Spa on Market Street was booked all day Tuesday and today as customers took advantage of the service while they still can. Store owner Jennifer Odister cleaned with Lysol between clients and had masks and gloves on hand for customers if needed.

“We are trying to take care of our customers while we can and then we will sit back like everyone else and watch for when we can open back up,” said Odister, who has four other employees. “I am not real sure what we are going to do. My girls who work here are W-2 and don’t work for themselves, so they can hopefully file unemployment. We are going to wait this out. It’s crazy times.”