INTERIM GUIDANCE FOR HAIR SALONS AND BARBERSHOPS

DURING THE COVID-19 PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY

When you have read this document, you can affirm at the bottom.
As of May 28, 2020

Purpose

This Interim Guidance for Hair Salons and Barbershops during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency
(“Interim COVID-19 Guidance for Hair Salons and Barbershops”) was created to provide
owners/operators of hair salons and barbershops and their employees and contractors with precautions
to help protect against the spread of COVID-19 as hair salons and barbershops reopen.

This guidance applies only to hair service businesses including hair salons, barbershops, and other similar
hair service businesses. This guidance does not apply to nail salons, tattoo parlors, or any other non-
haircutting-related personal care services or activities, including but not limited to: beard trimming, nose
hair trimming, facials, manicures/pedicures, makeup application, threading, tweezing, or waxing.

These guidelines are minimum requirements only and any employer is free to provide additional
precautions or increased restrictions. These guidelines are based on the best-known public health
practices at the time of Phase II of the State’s reopening, and the documentation upon which these
guidelines are based can and does change frequently. The Responsible Parties – as defined below – are
accountable for adhering to all local, state and federal requirements relative to hair salons and
barbershops. The Responsible Parties are also accountable for staying current with any updates to these
requirements, as well as incorporating same into any hair salon or barbershop operation Safety Plan.

Background

On March 7, 2020, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo issued Executive Order 202, declaring a state of
emergency in response to COVID-19. Community transmission of COVID-19 has occurred throughout
New York. To minimize further spread, social distancing of at least six feet must be maintained between
individuals, where possible.

On March 19, 2020, Governor Cuomo issued Executive Order 202.7, directing all barbershops, hair
salons, tattoo or piercing parlors and related personal care services to close their doors to members of
the public until further notice. The executive order also applied to nail technicians, cosmetologists and
estheticians, and the provision of electrolysis, and laser removal services. The executive order was issued
because these services could not be performed while maintaining social distance.

On March 20, 2020, Governor Cuomo issued Executive Order 202.6, directing all non-essential businesses
to close in-office personnel functions. Essential businesses, as defined by Empire State Development
Corporation (ESD) guidance, were not subject to the in-person restriction, but were, however, directed to
comply with the guidance and directives for maintaining a clean and safe work environment issued by the
New York State Department of Health (DOH), and were strongly urged to maintain social distancing
measures to the extent possible.
On April 12, 2020, Governor Cuomo issued Executive Order 202.16, directing essential businesses to
provide employees, who are present in the workplace, with a face covering, at no-cost, that must be
used when in direct contact with customers or members of the public during the course of their work.
On April 15, 2020, Governor Cuomo issued Executive Order 202.17, directing that any individual who is
over age two and able to medically tolerate a face-covering must cover their nose and mouth with a
mask or cloth face-covering when in a public place and unable to maintain, or when not maintaining,
social distance. On April 16, 2020, Governor Cuomo issued Executive Order 202.18, directing that
everyone using public or private transportation carriers or other for-hire vehicles, who is over age two
and able to medically tolerate a face covering, must wear a mask or face covering over the nose and
mouth during any such trip. It also directed any operators or drivers of public or private transport to wear
a face covering or mask which covers the nose and mouth while there are any passengers in such a
vehicle.

On April 26, 2020, Governor Cuomo announced a phased approach to reopen industries and businesses
in New York in phases based upon a data-driven, regional analysis. On May 4, 2020, the Governor
provided that the regional analysis would consider several public health factors, including new COVID-19
infections, as well as health care system, diagnostic testing, and contact tracing capacity. On May 11,
2020, Governor Cuomo announced that the first phase of reopening would begin on May 15, 2020 in
several regions of New York, based upon available regional metrics and indicators.

When regions are allowed to move into Phase II, hair salons and barbershops will be permitted to reopen
as long as they are following approved standards and have also completed safety plans for the business
and have posted them at the place of business.

In addition to the following standards, businesses must continue to comply with the guidance and
directives for maintaining clean and safe work environments issued by DOH.

Please note that where guidance in this document differs from other guidance documents issued by New
York State, the more recent guidance shall apply.

Standards for the Responsible Operation of Hair Salons and Barbershops in New York State

No hair salons or barbershops can operate without meeting the following minimum State standards, as
well as applicable federal requirements, including but not limited to such minimum standards of the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), and United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA).

The State standards contained within this guidance apply to all hair salons and barbershops in operation
during the COVID-19 public health emergency until rescinded or amended by the State. The owner of the
hair salon or barbershop, or another party as may be designated by the owner (in either case, "the
Responsible Parties"), shall be responsible for meeting these standards.

Hair salon and barbershop owners are reminded to follow existing health and sanitary standards except
where this document provides a stricter standard, in which case this document controls. Existing
standards relating to salons are available on the Department of State’s website by clicking here. Existing
standards relating to barbershops are available on the Department of State’s website by clicking here.

The following guidance is organized around three distinct categories: people, places, and processes.

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I. PEOPLE

A. Physical Distancing

• Responsible Parties must ensure that the workforce and customer presence in any hair salon or
barbershop is limited to no more than 50% of the maximum occupancy for a particular area as set by
the certificate of occupancy, inclusive of customers, who must maintain six feet of separation from
others, except during the haircutting service, and, in all cases, must only be permitted entry into the
hair salon or barbershop if they wear an acceptable face covering; provided, however, that the
customer is over the age of two and able to medically tolerate such a covering; and

• Responsible Parties must ensure a distance of at least six feet is maintained among employees and
customers at all times, unless the core activity requires a shorter distance (e.g. providing a haircut,
operating appointments desk, or cash registers). Employees must wear face coverings any time they
interact with customers (e.g. ringing up a purchase, wrapping an item to hand off) and any time that
employees must come within six feet of another person. Employees must be prepared to don a face
covering if another person unexpectedly comes within six feet.

o Acceptable face coverings for COVID-19 include but are not limited to cloth-based face coverings
and disposable masks that cover both the mouth and nose.

o However, cloth, disposable, or other homemade face coverings are not acceptable face coverings
for workplace activities that typically require a higher degree of protection for personal protective
equipment (PPE) due to the nature of the work. For those activities, N95 respirators or other PPE
used under existing industry standards should continue to be used, as is defined in accordance
with OSHA guidelines.

o Hair salon owners must continue to comply with 19 NYCRR Sec. 160.11 and ensure an adequate
supply of PPE (e.g. N-95 or N-100 respirators) is available at each workstation.

• Responsible Parties may modify the use and/or restrict the number of work stations and employee
seating areas, so that workers are at least six feet apart in all directions (e.g. side-to-side and when
facing one another) and are not sharing workstations without cleaning and disinfection between use.

o Responsible Parties must ensure that customer seating allows customers to maintain a six-foot
distance from all others except for the employee providing service (e.g. barber chairs must be six
feet apart from one another, unless a physical barrier is installed between barber chairs).

▪ Installing physical barriers should be considered where possible to divide employee

workstations in personal care locations (e.g. between barber chairs) and in accordance with
OSHA guidelines.

▪ Physical barrier options may include: strip curtains, plexiglass or similar materials, or other
impermeable dividers or partitions.

▪ Responsible Parties must ensure that at appointment desks and check-out registers,
employees wear face coverings and enact physical barriers in areas where they would not
affect air flow, heating, cooling, ventilation, or otherwise potentially impair health or safety.

• Responsible Parties are prohibited from requesting or requiring medical or other documentation from
a customer who declines to wear a face covering due to a medical or other health condition that
prevents such usage.

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• Responsible Parties must prohibit the use of tightly confined spaces (e.g. behind cash registers,
elevators, stock rooms) by more than one individual at a time, unless all individuals in such spaces at
the same time are wearing acceptable face coverings. However, occupancy must never exceed 50%
of the maximum capacity of the space, unless it is designed for use by a single occupant. Responsible
Parties should increase ventilation with outdoor air to the greatest extent possible (e.g. opening
windows, leaving doors open), while maintaining safety protocols.

• Responsible Parties should encourage the use of touchless payment options or pay ahead, when
available. Minimize handling cash, credit cards, reward cards, and mobile devices, where possible
(e.g. consider allowing customers to tip via electronic payment rather than with cash).

• Responsible Parties should put in place measures to reduce bi-directional foot traffic using tape or
signs with arrows in narrow aisles, hallways, or spaces, and post signage and distance markers
denoting spaces of six feet in all commonly used areas and any areas in which lines are commonly
formed or people may congregate (e.g. in front of appointment desks/cash register areas, health
screening stations, break rooms).
o Where possible, place markers or barriers to encourage one directional traffic.

• Responsible Parties must post signage and distance markers denoting spaces of six feet in all
commonly used areas and any areas in which lines are commonly formed or people may congregate
(e.g. clock in/out stations, health screening stations, break rooms, cash register areas).

• Responsible Parties may consider implementing a “by appointment only” policy to limit walk-in
customers and congregation.

• Responsible Parties shall close waiting rooms and lines should be avoided, to the extent possible.
Customers that make appointments in advance should be asked to wait in cars or outside the location
at least six feet away until their appointment time. Likewise, if Responsible Parties cannot provide
service to walk-in customers right away, such customers should be given an appointment time and
also asked to wait in cars or outside the location at least six feet away until their appointment time.

• Responsible Parties must post signs inside and outside of the hair salon or barbershop, consistent
with DOH COVID-19 signage. Responsible Parties can develop their own customized signage specific
to their workplace or setting, provided that such signage is consistent with the Department’s signage.
Signage should be used to remind employees and customers to:

o Cover their nose and mouth with a mask or face covering.

o Properly store and, when necessary, discard PPE.

o Adhere to physical distancing instructions.

o Report symptoms of or exposure to COVID-19, and how they should do so.

o Follow hand hygiene and cleaning/disinfection guidelines.

B. Gatherings in Enclosed Spaces

• Responsible Parties must limit in-person gatherings (e.g. employee meetings, in break rooms, stock
rooms) to the greatest extent possible and use other methods such as video or teleconferencing
whenever possible, per CDC guidance “Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and
Respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)”. When videoconferencing or teleconferencing is

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 not possible, Responsible Parties should hold meetings in open, well-ventilated spaces and ensure
that individuals maintain six feet of social distance between one another (e.g. if there are chairs,
leave space between chairs, have employees sit in alternating chairs).

• Responsible Parties must put in place practices for adequate social distancing in confined areas, such
as restrooms and breakrooms, and should develop signage and systems (e.g. flagging when
occupied) to restrict occupancy when social distancing cannot be maintained in such areas; and

• Responsible Parties should stagger schedules for employees to observe social distancing (i.e., six feet
of space) for any gathering (e.g. while taking breaks).

C. Workplace Activity

• In accordance with the definition of hair service businesses and activities provided above,
Responsible Parties are prohibited from offering all services not related to haircutting, coloring, or
styling; prohibited services include, but are not limited to: beard trimming, nose hair trimming,
facials, nail services, makeup application, threading, tweezing, or waxing.

• Responsible Parties must take measures to reduce interpersonal contact and congregation, through
methods such as:

o limiting in-person presence to only those staff who are necessary to be on site;

o adjusting workplace hours;

o reducing on-site workforce to accommodate social distancing guidelines;

o shifting design (e.g. A/B teams, staggered arrival/departure times); and/or

o batching activities, where possible, so employees can adhere to social distancing and reduce the
number of hands touching at the same time (e.g. stocking shelves).

• Responsible Parties should adjust business hours as necessary to reduce density and enable
enhanced cleaning procedures.

D. Movement and Commerce

• Responsible Parties should prohibit non-essential visitors at the hair salon or barbershop.

• Responsible Parties must monitor and control the flow of traffic into the establishment to ensure
adherence to maximum capacity requirements.

• Responsible Parties must establish designated areas for pickups and deliveries, limiting contact to the
extent possible.

• Responsible Parties should provide clearly designate separate entrances and exits, where possible.

• For merchandise deliveries, Responsible Parties should implement a touchless delivery system
whereby drivers stay in the cab of the vehicle while delivery takes place or, where not practicable,
Responsible Parties must provide acceptable personal protective equipment appropriate to the
anticipated activities that includes, at a minimum, a cloth face covering to delivery workers at no cost
for the duration of the delivery process.

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• Responsible Parties must ensure employees sanitize hands before and after transferring a load (e.g.
from a delivery driver) of merchandise (e.g. sanitize hands before starting to load items; and once
again after all items have been loaded, finish by sanitizing their hands again).

• Responsible Parties must close amenities, where applicable, including:

o self-serve bars and samplers;
o cafes and dining/beverage service areas, except for takeout;
o water fountains;
o magazine areas.

• Responsible Parties should consider eliminating or relaxing cancellation fees, in order to encourage
customers to stay home if they become sick.

II. PLACES

A. Protective Equipment

• Responsible Parties must ensure that all employees wear a face covering and a face shield that
completely covers the nose and mouth when providing service directly to/on customers (i.e.
haircutting services). Employees also must wear face coverings any time they interact with customers
(e.g. ringing up a purchases), even if they are six or more feet apart.

• In addition to necessary PPE as required for certain workplace activities, Responsible Parties must
procure, fashion, or otherwise obtain acceptable face coverings and provide such coverings to
employees while at work at no cost to the employee. Responsible Parties should have an adequate
supply of face coverings, masks and other required PPE on hand should an employee need a
replacement, or an essential visitor be in need. Acceptable face coverings include, but are not limited
to, cloth (e.g. homemade sewn, quick cut, bandana), surgical masks, N95 respirators, and face
shields.

• Face coverings must be cleaned or replaced after use and may not be shared. Please consult CDC
guidance for additional information on cloth face coverings and other types of personal protective
equipment (PPE), as well as instructions on use and cleaning.

o Note that cloth face coverings or disposable masks shall not be considered acceptable face
coverings for workplace activities that require a higher degree of protection for face covering
requirements. For example, if N95 respirators are traditionally required for business activities, a
cloth or homemade mask would not suffice. OSHA standards for such safety equipment must be
adhered to.

• Responsible Parties must allow employees to use their own acceptable face coverings but cannot
require employees to supply their own face coverings. Further, this guidance shall not prevent
employees from wearing their personally owned additional protective coverings (e.g. surgical masks,
N95 respirators, or face shields), or if the Responsible Parties otherwise requires employees to wear
more protective PPE due to the nature of their work. Employers should comply with all applicable
OSHA standards.

• Responsible Parties must put in place measures to limit the sharing of objects, such as scissors, spray
bottles, and clippers, as well as the touching of shared surfaces; or, require workers to wear gloves
(trade-appropriate or medical) when in contact with shared objects or frequently touched surfaces;
or, require workers to sanitize or wash their hands before and after contact.

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 o If shared, equipment must be cleaned and disinfected between uses.

• Responsible Parties must train workers on how to adequately put on, take off, clean (as applicable),
and discard PPE, including but not limited to, appropriate face coverings.

• Where Responsible Parties provide coverings to a client (e.g., apron for haircut), they must ensure
that such covering is clean, freshly laundered, or disinfected between each use, or disposable.

• Responsible Parties must require employees to wear clean smocks or gowns.

• Responsible Parties must ensure that employees use gloves when providing service to a customer, or
require workers to sanitize or wash their hands before and after contact.

o If gloves are used, they must be replaced after each appointment.

• Responsible Parties must ensure all customers wear masks or cloth face covering that completely
covers the nose and mouth, unless the customer is under the age of two or unable to medically
tolerate such a covering.

o For haircutting services, Responsible Parties should encourage customers to wear face coverings
that loop around the ear, to prevent having to remove a face covering during services. If one
loop must be removed momentarily in order for the hair stylist or barber to reach a spot, the
customer must hold up the face covering in front of their nose and mouth.

B. Hygiene, Cleaning, and Disinfection

• Responsible Parties must ensure adherence to hygiene and cleaning/disinfection requirements as

advised by the CDC and DOH, including “Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfection of Public and Private
Facilities for COVID-19,” and the “STOP THE SPREAD” poster, as applicable. Responsible Parties must
maintain logs that include the date, time, and scope of cleaning and disinfection.

• Responsible Parties must provide and maintain hand hygiene stations on site, as follows:

o For handwashing: soap, running warm water, and disposable paper towels.

o For sanitizer: an alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol for areas where
handwashing facilities may not be available or practical.

o Responsible Parties must make hand sanitizer available throughout the hair salon or barbershop
for use by employees and customers.

o Responsible Parties must require that employees practice hand hygiene by washing hands for 20
seconds with soap and water before and after providing services to each customer.

o Responsible Parties should place receptables around the hair salon or barbershop for the disposal
of soiled items, such as PPE.

• Responsible Parties must provide appropriate cleaning/disinfection supplies for shared and frequently
touched surfaces and encourage employees to use these supplies following manufacturer’s
instructions before and after use of these surfaces, followed by hand hygiene.

• Responsible Parties must conduct regular cleaning and disinfection of the hair salon or barbershop
and more frequent cleaning and disinfection for high risk areas used by many individuals and for

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 frequently touched surfaces. Cleaning and disinfection must be rigorous and ongoing and should
occur at least after each shift, daily, or more frequently as needed. Please refer to DOH’s “Interim
Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfection of Public and Private Facilities for COVID-19” for detailed
instructions on how to clean and disinfect facilities.

o Responsible Parties must ensure regular cleaning and disinfecting of restrooms. Restrooms
should be cleaned and disinfected more often depending on frequency of use.

▪ Responsible Parties must ensure distancing rules are adhered to by using signage, occupied
markers, or other methods to reduce restroom capacity where feasible.

o Responsible Parties must ensure that work station equipment is regularly cleaned and disinfected
using registered disinfectants, including at least as often as between each customer. Refer to the
Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) list of products registered in New York State
identified by the EPA as effective against COVID-19.
o If cleaning or disinfection products or the act of cleaning and disinfecting causes safety hazards
or degrades the material or equipment, Responsible Parties must put in place hand hygiene
stations between use and/or supply disposable gloves and/or limitations on the number of
employees using such equipment.

• Responsible Parties must leave time between appointments for full workstation cleaning (e.g. 15
minutes).

• Responsible Parties must provide for the cleaning and disinfection of exposed areas in the event an
employee or customer is confirmed to have COVID-19, with such cleaning and disinfection to include,
at a minimum, all heavy transit areas and high-touch surfaces (e.g. vending machines, handrails,
bathrooms, door knobs).

• CDC guidelines on “Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Facility” if someone is suspected or confirmed to
have COVID-19 are as follows:
o Close off areas used by the person suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19.
▪ Responsible Parties do not necessarily need to close operations, if they can close off the
affected areas.
o Open outside doors and windows to increase air circulation in the area.
o Wait 24 hours before you clean and disinfect. If 24 hours is not feasible, wait as long as possible.
o Clean and disinfect all areas used by the person suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19, such
as offices, bathrooms, common areas, and shared equipment.
o Once the area has been appropriately cleaned and disinfected, it can be reopened for use.

▪ Employees without close contact with the person suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19
can return to the work area immediately after cleaning and disinfection.

• Per CDC’s “Evaluating and Testing Persons for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-
19),” considerations when assessing close contact include the duration of exposure
(e.g. longer exposure time likely increases exposure risk) and the clinical symptoms
of the person with COVID-19 (e.g. coughing likely increases exposure risk as does
exposure to a severely ill patient).

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 • Further, per CDC’s “Principles of Contact Tracing,” a close contact is someone who
was within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes starting from 48 hours
before illness onset until the time the patient is isolated. The local health department
should be contacted if the extent of contact between an individual and a person
suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19 is unclear. Individuals who had close
contact should stay home, maintain social distancing, and self-monitor until 14 days
from the last date of exposure.

o If more than seven days have passed since the person suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19
visited or used the facility, additional cleaning and disinfection is not necessary, but routine
cleaning and disinfection should continue.

• For activities involving the handling of shared objects (e.g. payment devices), areas, and/or surfaces
(e.g. doors), Responsible Parties must ensure that such areas and objects are cleaned daily, at a
minimum.

• Responsible Parties must ensure workstations, and tools (e.g. brushes, chairs, headrest, shears) are
cleaned and disinfected between customers.

• Responsible Parties must prohibit shared food and beverages (e.g. buffet style meals), encourage
bringing lunch from home, and reserve adequate space for employees to observe social distancing
while eating meals.

C. Phased Reopening

• Responsible Parties are encouraged to phase-in reopening activities so as to allow for operational
issues to be resolved before production or work activities return to normal levels. Responsible Parties
should consider limiting the number of employees, hours, and number of customers available to be
served when first reopening so as to provide operations with the ability to adjust to the changes.

D. Communications Plan

• Responsible Parties must affirm that they have reviewed and understand the state-issued industry
guidelines, and that they will implement them.

• Responsible Parties should develop a communications plan for employees, visitors, and customers
that includes applicable instructions, training, signage, and a consistent means to provide employees
with information. Responsible Parties may consider developing webpages, text and email groups, and
social media.

• Responsible Parties should encourage customers to adhere to CDC and DOH guidance regarding the
use of PPE, specifically face coverings through verbal communication and signage.

• Responsible Parties should post signage inside and outside of the hair salon or barbershop to remind
personnel and customers to adhere to proper hygiene, social distancing rules, appropriate use of PPE,
and cleaning and disinfecting protocols.

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III. PROCESSES

A. Screening and Testing

• Responsible Parties are strongly encouraged to ensure that employees performing services directly on
or to customers (i.e. haircutting) have been tested for COVID-19 through a diagnostic test, prior to
the employee performing such services. Employees shall be tested every 14 days, so long as the
region in which the hair salon/barbershop is located remains in Phase II of the State’s reopening.
Customers are strongly encouraged to inquire with the employee providing services directly on or to
them about whether the employee has received testing.

• Responsible Parties must implement mandatory daily health screening practices for employees and,
where practicable, visitors, but such screening shall not be mandated for customers and delivery
personnel.

o Screening practices may be performed remotely (e.g. by telephone or electronic survey), before
the employee reports to the work site, to the extent possible; or may be performed on site.

o Screening should be coordinated to prevent workers from intermingling in close contact with
each other prior to completion of the screening.

o At a minimum, screening should be required of all workers and visitors and completed using a
questionnaire that determines whether the worker or visitor has:

(a) knowingly been in close or proximate contact in the past 14 days with anyone who has
tested positive for COVID-19 or who has or had symptoms of COVID-19,

(b) tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 14 days, or;

(c) has experienced any symptoms of COVID-19 in the past 14 days.

• Responsible Parties should ask customers to provide verbal or written confirmation that they have not
been in close or proximate contact in the past 14 days with anyone who has tested positive for
COVID-19 or who has or had COVID-19 symptoms, tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 14 days,
or are.

• According to the CDC guidance on “Symptoms of Coronavirus,” people with COVID-19 have had a
wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness – including, but
not limited to: cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fever, chills, muscle pain, sore
throat, or new loss of taste or smell.

• Responsible Parties should require employees to immediately disclose if and when their responses to
any of the aforementioned questions changes, such as if they begin to experience symptoms,
including during or outside of work hours.

• In addition to the screening questionnaire, daily temperature checks may also be conducted per
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or DOH guidelines. Responsible Parties are prohibited
from keeping records of employee health data (e.g. temperature data).

• Responsible Parties must ensure that any personnel performing screening activities, including
temperature checks, are appropriately protected from exposure to potentially infectious employees or

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 visitors entering the hair salon or barbershop. Personnel performing screening activities should be
trained by employer-identified individuals who are familiar with CDC, DOH, and OSHA protocols.

• Screeners should be provided and use PPE, including at a minimum, a face mask, and may include
gloves, a gown, and/or a face shield.

• An employee who screens positive for COVID-19 symptoms should not be allowed to enter the
workplace and should be sent home with instructions to contact their healthcare provider for
assessment and testing. Responsible Parties must immediately notify the local health department and
DOH about the case if test results are positive for COVID-19. Responsible Parties should provide the
employee with information on healthcare and testing resources.

• An employee who has responded that they have had close contact with a person who is confirmed or
suspected for COVID-19 may not be allowed to enter the worksite without abiding by the precautions
outlined below and documentation of the employee’s adherence to those precautions has been done.

• Responsible Parties must review all employee and visitor responses collected by the screening
process on a daily basis and maintain a record of such review. Responsible Parties must also identify
a contact as the party for employees to inform if they later are experiencing COVID-19-related
symptoms, as noted in the questionnaire.

• Responsible Parties must designate a site safety monitor whose responsibilities include continuous
compliance with all aspects of the site safety plan.

• To the extent possible, Responsible Parties should maintain a log of every person, including workers
and visitors, who may have close contact with other individuals at the work site or area; excluding
deliveries that are performed with appropriate PPE or through contactless means. Log should contain
contact information, such that all contacts may be identified, traced and notified in the event an
employee is diagnosed with COVID-19. Responsible Parties must cooperate with local health
department contact tracing efforts.

• Responsible Parties shall create and maintain a log of customers with names and contact information
so that they can be contacted for contact tracing, if necessary. Responsible Parties shall strongly
encourage customers to provide their name and contact information in such log, but shall not
mandate that they do so, and shall not require identification nor deny service to customers who
choose to not provide such information.

• Responsible Parties and employees should take the following actions related to COVID-19 symptoms
and contact:

o If an employee has COVID-19 symptoms AND EITHER tests positive for COVID-19 OR did not
receive a test, the employee may only return to work after completing a 14-day self-quarantine.
If an employee is critical to the operation or safety of a site, the local health department and the
most up-to-date CDC and DOH standards on the minimum number of days to quarantine before
an employee is safely able to return to work with additional precautions to mitigate the risk of
COVID-19 transmission may be consulted.

o If an employee does NOT have COVID-19 symptoms BUT tests positive for COVID-19, the
employee may only return to work after completing a 14-day self-quarantine. If an employee is
critical to the operation or safety of a site, the local health department and the most up-to-date
CDC and DOH standards on the minimum number of days to quarantine before an employee is
safely able to return to work with additional precautions to mitigate the risk of COVID-19
transmission may be consulted.

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 o If an employee has had close contact with a person with COVID-19 AND is symptomatic, the
employee should notify their employer and follow the above protocol for a positive case.

o If an employee has had close contact with a person with COVID-19 AND is NOT symptomatic, the
employee must notify their employer and quarantine for 14 days. However, if the employee is
critical to the operation or safety of the workplace AND is NOT symptomatic, the Responsible
Parties may consult with their local health department on precautions to permit a return to work
in adherence to the following practices prior to and during their work shift, which should be
documented:

1) Regular monitoring: Employee should take their temperature before work to confirm that
they do not have a fever. As long as the employee does not have a temperature or
symptoms, they should self-monitor under the supervision of their employer’s occupational
health program.

2) Wear a mask: The employee should wear a face mask at all times while in the workplace for
14 days after last exposure to a person with COVID-19.

3) Social distance: Employee should continue social distancing practices, including maintaining,
at least, six feet distance from others.

4) Disinfect and clean work spaces: Continue to clean and disinfect all areas such as offices,
bathrooms, common areas, and shared electronic equipment routinely and increase
frequency of cleaning and disinfection of high-touch surfaces.

o If an employee is symptomatic upon arrival at work or becomes sick during the day, the
employee must be separated and sent home immediately, following the above protocol for a
positive case.

B. Tracing and Tracking

• Responsible Parties must notify the local health department and DOH immediately upon being
informed of any positive COVID-19 test result by an employee at their workplace.

• In the case of an employee, visitor, or customer who interacted at the business testing positive, the
Responsible Parties must cooperate with the local health department to trace all contacts in the
workplace and notify the health department of all employees logged and visitors/customers (as
applicable) who entered the hair salon or barbershop dating back to 48 hours before the employee
began experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or tested positive, whichever is earlier, but maintain
confidentiality as required by federal and state law and regulations.

• Local health departments will implement monitoring and movement restrictions of infected or
exposed persons including home isolation or quarantine.

• Employees who are alerted that they have come into close or proximate contact with a person with
COVID-19, and have been alerted via tracing, tracking or other mechanism, are required to self-
report to their employer at the time of alert and shall follow all required protocols as if they had been
exposed at work.

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IV. EMPLOYER PLANS
Responsible Parties must conspicuously post completed safety plans on site. The State has made
available a business reopening safety plan template to guide business owners and operators in
developing plans to protect against the spread of COVID-19.

Additional safety information, guidelines, and resources are available at:

New York State Department of Health Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Website

https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Coronavirus (COVID-19) Website

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

Occupational Safety and Health Administration COVID-19 Website

https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/covid-19/

At the link below, affirm that you have read and understand your obligation to
operate in accordance with this guidance:

https://forms.ny.gov/s3/ny-forward-affirmation

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