Salons, barbershops and gyms get permission to soon open in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO (KTVU) - Hair and nail salons, barbershops and gyms will be able to open for outdoor business in San Francisco next week.

Mayor London Breed announced the change Friday as the city attempts to once again emerge from stringent coronavirus restrictions.

Nail and hair salons, massage parlors and barbershops, which have been closed for almost six months, will be allowed to open outdoors if employees and customers wear masks, Breed said. Gyms and fitness centers can hold classes in public parks and other outdoor spaces on September 9. 

"Being closed for 6 months has taken a toll," Breed said. "Our small businesses are hurting, they need us now more than ever."

The announcement came shortly before Gov. Newsom announced an overhaul of the state's reopening process that now places counties on a 4-tier color-coded system for tracking progress against the virus.

Under Newsom's rules, hair salons and barbershops could reopen indoors, but some areas may have rules that are tighter than what the state sets. 

The timing by Breed also coincided with the day that Alameda and Contra Costa counties beginning to allow some businesses to reopen too.