Although hairdressing in Australia has been regarded as an essential service until now, the latest tough lockdown in Victoria has seen the shutdown of salons, along with retail, manufacturing, and childcare. Hairdressers in Victoria are devastated by this, and there are concerns that many salon businesses will not recover despite government grants being made available. Increased fines, along with additional Defence Force personnel being deployed, will enforce this lockdown.
The lockdown follows a spike in cases within the state. Based on the locations of the new outbreaks, authorities are researching whether they were caused by a single “superspreader”.
A complicating factor has been that more than 10% of people have refused to be tested and have stated that coronavirus is a conspiracy or will not affect them.
As we move out of lockdown in South Africa, this emphasises the importance of wearing masks correctly at all times and adhering to lockdown regulations even if they seem repressive or illogical. A spike in cases can quickly become overwhelming, leaving government with no choice but to impose harsher rules.
