KUALA LUMPUR, June 1 — Over two months after Covid-19 lockdown was enforced, almost everyone is in need of a haircut. However, that is unlikely to happen soon.
The National Security Council has yet to determine health guidelines for barbers and hair salon, among the rare few non-essential services that have remained prohibited from reopening under the conditional movement control order (CMCO).
Senior Minister in charge of Defence Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today the matter has not been in the council’s agenda up to now, but suggested they could deliberate soon.
“I believe the SOP is being prepared by the council and the Ministry of Health,” he said at the NSC’s daily briefing on the domestic Covid-19 briefing in Putrajaya.
“But to date it has not been tabled for discussion...God willing we are waiting for the NSC to table it but only if it is ready.
“So far it does not seem so.”
The MOH said on May 19 that it is looking at fine-tuning the proposed standard operating procedure (SOP) for barbers and hairstylists to operate under the conditional movement control order (CMCO).
Its director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the ministry has received appeal letters from the relevant parties on the SOP implementation of the barbers and hairstylists.
“We are in the midst of fine-tuning the SOP as the industry is physically in contact with its customers and we want to make sure that Covid-19 infections can be avoided,” he said during the Health Ministry’s daily briefing on Covid-19 at the time.
Dr Noor Hisham was responding to MOH’s latest move on the appeal letters submitted by grooming and hair dressing associations.
