Coronavirus: How Beauty Salons, Bakeries, and Laundries Are Preparing to Resume Business Starting May 12



[ad_1]

A cautious reversal of the current circuit breaker to deal with Tuesday’s coronavirus outbreak will make more stores work again.

All food stores selling packaged snacks, cakes, sweets and desserts, as well as home-based food businesses, laundry services and hair salons, may reopen, subject to restrictions, authorities said earlier this month.

For example, authorized workplaces to continue need to ensure that employees maintain a safe physical distance from each other to limit the spread of Covid-19.

But some face challenges in reopening after three weeks of closing. Home bakers are grappling with a shortage of some ingredients and are finding safe ways to make deliveries, while salons are looking for ways to handle potential crowds.

The Sunday Times talks to barbershops, laundry services and bakeries to find out how they have been affected and how they are trying to comply with the restrictions when they reopen.


Beauty salons prepare for the expected influx of clients

Customers at a QB House store before the circuit breaker started. Beauty salons may reopen starting Tuesday, but they must control potential crowds.
Customers at a QB House store before the circuit breaker started. Beauty salons may reopen starting Tuesday, but they must control potential crowds. PHOTO: CASA QB

Regulars of the Ezen Hair, Nail & Beauty salon have been calling to ask when it will reopen, as some of them are increasingly desperate for a haircut.

The salon, which began operating in 1982 and has nine outlets, will reopen on Tuesday but can only provide basic haircutting, washing and drying services.

You can also serve each client for a maximum of one hour.

READ MORE HERE

Bakeries secure fresh ingredients before the start of May 12

Customers queuing at The Pine Garden's Ang Mo Kio store (above) on April 22, before stricter measures are applied. The bakery, which has been calling customers (above) to process refunds for their canceled orders, will reopen its six outlets.
Customers queuing at The Pine Garden’s Ang Mo Kio store (above) on April 22, before stricter measures are applied. PHOTO ST: KHALID BABA

Last month, 23-year-old home baker Adeline Tan had so few speculoos, a type of spiced cookie, that she had to buy them from a German market, almost double the FairPrice usual price.

He had received orders for speculoos brownies before realizing how difficult it was to get the ingredient, and had to absorb the additional costs to fill about 70 orders.

She is one of the many bakeries dealing with supply shortages before the business reopens on Tuesday.

READ MORE HERE

Some laundry stores may not reopen as offices remain closed

    KHALID BABA
Dobi Laundry Services in Yishun is one of the laundry stores that cannot yet reopen, while some stores plan to resume business with shorter opening hours and others say they will not allow customers without an appointment. PHOTO ST: KHALID BABA

Laundry companies will take tentative steps to reopen their businesses starting May 12, saying they must work out some details first, such as establishing a base where they are.

Some plan to resume business with shorter opening hours, while others say they won’t allow customers without an appointment.

Laundry services are among the companies that will be allowed to reopen under the tight circuit breaker measures announced by the multi-ministry working group.

READ MORE HERE



[ad_2]