Hair salons, tattoo parlors and other beauty shops ordered to close indefinitely in four states

New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania are requiring all barbershops, beauty and nail salons and tattoo parlors in their states to temporarily close to help stop the spread of the novel coronavirus.

In a joint statement, the four governors told all “personal care” businesses owners in their states they must close by 8 p.m. ET Saturday to slow the spread of Covid-19. The personal care mandate applies to tattoo and piercing parlors and hair removal services as well. The governors’ statement did not say when the order will be lifted.

New York, meanwhile, went a step further on Friday by ordering all non-essential businesses in the state closed and asking all New Yorkers to stay at home. Small businesses are being hit particularly hard

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has said he and his counterparts in neighboring states have been “coordinating to the greatest extent possible.”

“We know how the novel coronavirus spreads, and we are making data-driven decisions as the situation evolves to continue to reduce density and slow the spread of the virus,” Cuomo said in a statement. “We remain in constant communication with our neighboring states to ensure we are establishing a set of uniform rules and regulations for the entire region. These temporary closures are not going to be easy, but they are necessary to protecting the health and safety of New Yorkers and all Americans.”

Cuomo emphasized that the orders are legal provisions that will be enforced.

“There will be a civil fine and mandatory closure for any business that is not in compliance,” he said.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said social distancing is critical to slow the spread of coronavirus “and protect the most vulnerable members of our community.”

“While we understand the challenge these restrictions pose to our region’s small businesses, we are actively working with the federal government to ensure that financial relief is made available to our business owners and workforce as quickly as possible,” he said.

Pennsylvania businesses and residents should check the state’s existing guidance for more details on closures and other tips on containing the coronavirus, the order said.

“Pennsylvania continues to work with our neighboring states to implement mitigation strategies that will fight the spread of COVID-19 in our region,” Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf said. “All Pennsylvanians are greatly appreciative of the aggressive approach our neighbors our taking, which will help all of our residents as we address this public health crisis.”