When will hairdressers open? Date barbers and salons could reopen in England as PM announces lockdown roadmap

Boris Johnson has announced the date that hairdressers could reopen as part of his roadmap out of lockdown.

Addressing MPs on Monday 22 February, the Prime Minister set out the potential date in April that salons and barbers might welcome clients back through their doors.

Hairdressers were forced to close as part of England’s fresh nationwide coronavirus restrictions in January.

So, when could hairdressers reopen?

Here is everything you need to know.

When will hairdressers reopen?

The Prime Minister told MPs how restrictions in England, in place since 5 January, will be gradually relaxed.

A four-step roadmap has been drawn up, outlining the consecutive stages to relative normality.

It includes the initial relaxation of measures as well as the restrictions that could be eased in the coming months.

However, whether the four steps happen is dependent on strict conditions on vaccines, infection rates and new coronavirus variants.

Step one of the roadmap includes dates for the reopening of schools and outdoor socialising, while step two focuses on the opening of non-essential retail and outdoor hospitality.

It includes a date for when hairdressers can reopen, which is 12 April.

That is the same date that shops, beer gardens, zoos, theme parks, indoor leisure facilities and self-contained holiday accommodation could also open.

Yet whether barbers and salons will open back up on this date is dependent on if four new tests are met.

Only then will the government decide whether the country can progress to the next stage out of lockdown.

The key tests are:

- The vaccinations programme continues successfully

- Data shows that the jabs are effective in reducing hospital numbers and deaths in those inoculated

- Infection rates do not risk a rapid increase in hospitalisations, which would result in pressure on the NHS

- The government’s assessment of the risks is not fundamentally changed by new variants of the virus which cause concern.

Ministers have said the tests are currently being met so the first stage of the roadmap will go ahead on 8 March.

Could hairdressers reopen at the same time?

Boris Johnson also confirmed that restrictions would be eased nationally this time around.

Covid-19 measures will be relaxed step-by-step across the whole of England, instead of a return to the regional tiered system, he said.

That means hairdressers in different parts of the country will reopen at the same time.

Will there be Covid rules in hairdressers?

When hairdressers were open during the tier system they were instructed to operate in a Covid-secure manner.

It is likely that these rules will be reinstated when barbers and salons open back up.

That included staff wearing face shields and masks, and plastic screens were set up to separate different styling stations.

Appointments were reduced to limit the number of people in a salon at one time.

Hairdressers were also not able to offer clients food or drinks during their appointment.

There were increased hygiene rules for both staff and clients in place, including hand sanitising and wiping down chairs, equipment and surfaces.