Hon Fraser asked for the request to be considered when the Seventh Sitting of the Second Session of the Fourth HoA began today, April 16, 2020, at the Save the Seed Energy Centre in Duffs Bottom, Tortola.

Barbershop & salons to be opened

According to Hon Fraser, “The opening of hair salons, and not taking into consideration nail salons, is some form of a dichotomy because some hair salons have the nail salons inclusive and it puts the guy who has a nail salon as a separate entity at a disadvantage in this period.”

Premier and Minister of Finance, Hon Andrew A. Fahie (R1) last evening April 15, 2020, in an update to the Territory, had announced that hair salons, and by extension barbers, will be allowed to open from April 19, 2020, as part of the list of approved businesses but they must also adhere to social distancing guidelines.

“Ladies, it is now approved that next week you can go and get your hair done. Adhere to the social distancing measures,” he said today, April 16, 2020, noting that several complaints had been made for the services to be approved for opening.

He explained that the omission from his COVID-19 updated statement yesterday, April 15, 2020, was an error on his part and that the opening was approved by Cabinet.

"After l left, I got no less than 120 Whatsapp from ladies who wanted to know, and sent their pictures to show me how their hair is looking, stating if I think that I can get away with this," Hon Fahie said, adding that he is thinking of launching a 'before and after' Facebook competition with the troves of photos received on the matter.

Hair & nails complimentary

Hon Fraser illustrated; however, that hair and nails are complimentary and that one must always go with the other.

“I dare say, Mr Speaker, that every man, whether he met his lady in the church or on the dance floor, has come to know her now today as the lady that he met there and that lady was wearing weaves and nail extensions, so let’s not make this matter any more complicated for the males,” he noted.

Hon Fahie said that for now, he cannot preempt Cabinet decisions to include nail salons but will move to review the list of approved business to update it for nail salons, inclusive of the financial services sectors and other services to ensure continued revenue generation for the Territory.