Coronavirus: Hair salons, TCM halls do brisk business as they reopen

Business was brisk at hairdressing salons and barber shops yesterday morning as customers queued - keeping to social distancing - to crop their overgrown manes after the three-week shutdown of these premises.

The lifting of the restriction requiring them to close saw a line of more than 10 people forming quickly outside Snip Avenue salon in Bishan Street 13. Some neighbouring hairdressers also told The Straits Times that they received calls from regular customers to book appointments soon after the May 2 announcement that they could reopen.

Hairdressing salons are among businesses that were permitted to open their doors yesterday after being required to stay closed since April 22, as part of circuit breaker measures against the coronavirus.

But they had to abide by various rules to open for business. These include the use of government-built digital check-in system SafeEntry, which records all entries and exits, including those of employees and visitors, for digital contact tracing.

Also, hair salons can offer only basic haircut services, which Ms J.J. Loke, 47, manager of De What's Beauty and Salon, found worrisome. "There will be limited income from just washing and cutting hair," she said, noting services like hair treatment help keep her business going.

Other enterprises that can re-open include cake and dessert shops, laundry services, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) halls and home-based food businesses.

At Clementi Avenue 2, two TCM halls had a steady stream of mostly regular customers, but did business in a different way. They sold herbs via openings in their metal gates instead of letting customers inside.

It is a better way to manage the crowd of mostly vulnerable seniors, said Ban Joo Tong Medical Hall's Madam Yang, who declined to give her full name. "Of course, this might affect our business, but at this point, if we all do our part, we won't have to worry so much."

Major TCM chains said that before opening, they put in place safe distancing measures, rostering of split teams and the use of SafeEntry.

Mr James Teo, 49, general manager of Hock Hua Tonic, said its stores opened about two hours later than usual yesterday, to ensure employees had time to be prepared. The shops were bustling, with many customers buying ingredients for cooling and immune-boosting teas.

He said his company lost about $1 million as a result of the closure, even after receiving government support and rental rebates.

Managing director Serene Seow of Eu Yan Sang Singapore said the business was glad to reopen. She added that it has an online platform, but most of its elderly customers are not digitally savvy.

For popular home-based food businesses, demand appears to have gone through the roof, with bakers like Ms Anisah Shahab fretting about being able to fulfil orders.

The 27-year-old, who manages Halwa Bakes, said the surge in orders is particularly daunting in the lead-up to Hari Raya Aidilfitri, which starts on the evening of May 23. "These coming days are going to be really busy for me," she added.

Deebakes' Ms Adeline Tan, 23, is happy to resume business and contribute to her family's household income. "It doesn't feel great to be the only one in your family not working," she said.

Bakery Pine Garden's Cake, famed for its cream cakes, acknowledged that there have been a few delivery delays. Its managing director Wei Chan, 47, said: "It has been madness today - a constant stream of customers. We all pitched in all day, playing multiple roles."