To whom it may concern:

Please mandate the closure of all salons so employed stylists will be eligible for unemployment benefits and self-employed stylists who operate on a booth rental/tenant basis will not be liable for booth rental fees.

My wife's booth rental costs more than the lease for our house and she has chosen to protect herself and our community by stopping services. The salon has stayed open and we are still paying her booth rental as it is "her choice" to stay home. With minimal interest in hair services considering the circumstances, it is unlikely she could make enough to cover her rent regardless of the inherent risk. Stylists who are employed by salons that have chosen to stay open are not eligible for unemployment, subject to limited commissions, and must risk contact with potentially infected individuals in order to keep their income.

Austin's stance that it is her choice whether or not to continue working (and the customer's choice to visit) neglects to take into account the fact that it is IMPOSSIBLE for a hair stylist to follow the president's guideline of 6 feet personal distance and is a huge threat considering asymptomatic individuals still have the potential to transmit the virus. Without masks and gloves the potential for viral spread and community spread is far more increased than in any other non-essential business. I understand the concern is for large gatherings of people, though we should also concern ourselves with contact to contact spread from individuals.

California, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, Nevada, Minnesota, Washington, and Kentucky have acknowledged this risk and mandated the closure of salons. Now is the time for Texas to do the same.

Please mandate the closure of all salons so our stylists can stay safe, protect the community, and obtain eligibility for financial relief.

Thank you for your time and consideration,

Austin Residents & Concerned Citizens