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Salon Owners In Denver Frustrated At Lack Of Guidance On How To Reopen

DENVER (CBS4)- Salon owners in the City and County of Denver will have to wait a couple more weeks to serve clients. On Friday, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock extended the stay-at-home order until May 8.

Tri-County Health announced Friday that the stay-at-home orders for Adams and Arapahoe counties will also be extended until May 8. Douglas County, which is part of the region for Tri-County Health, will instead follow the guidelines set by Gov. Jared Polis.

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Colorado's stay-at-home order is still set to expire Sunday, April 26. While salons in other cities without extended orders are preparing to open Monday, a barbershop owner says the industry hasn't received updated guidance on how to open.

"Our industry is regulated by the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies [DORA]. As of April 23, no barbershop, salon, or spa has received permission nor guidance on when and how to open," said Roman Kirkirov, co-owner of Semion Barbershop.

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Kirkirov was excited for the opportunity to open Semion Barbershop's Denver and Aurora locations next week, but not without proper advisement from DORA. In the meantime, he's preparing as well as he can to open his doors safely on May 9.

"We don't want to do anything that's not correct and put somebody in danger," said Kirkirov, "When the clients choose to get a haircut during this time, they want to know that the establishment they're going to did their homework. They believe and trust us. We can't let them down."

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Kirkirov has ordered masks, gloves and face shields for all team members. He's also ordered touchless thermometers to check employees and clients before they enter the barbershop.

"Hopefully our clients will have to wear masks, so we won't be offering services like face shaving. I'm not sure if we're going to be doing coloring or those type of services either. I think the number one thing for the community is to get a haircut," said Kirkirov, who admits to needing a hair cut himself.

Kirkirov says Semion Barbershop is large enough to have at least one booth between clients, allowing services to be performed at a safe distance from other clients. He will also extend service time from 20 minutes to 30 minutes to allow time for thorough cleaning between appointments. Kirkirov plans to have special service hours for high risk clients, like the elderly.

Salon owners are ready to safely open as soon as possible, for their employees and their clients. Kirkirov says getting a haircut isn't just about your appearance. When his clients look better, they feel better too.

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He says a haircut could be the mood booster many Coloradans need right now.

"When you look at yourself in the mirror and you don't look the freshest, your appearance weighs down on you. I think when this is over and we all get haircuts; we will feel better as people. We will feel better as a community," said Kirkirov.

CBS4 reached out to the Department of Regulatory Agencies to find out when the updated guidelines for salons and barbershops will be available. Our requests for comment have not been returned.

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