KUWAIT: Many salon owners in Kuwait were not happy with the Cabinet's decision to move the resumption of work in barbershops and salons from phase five to phase four, which they say has caused public dissatisfaction due to the limited services that will be provided, as services such as beard shaving, scrubs, Moroccan and Turkish baths, sauna, Jacuzzi and others remain banned.

Kuwait local daily Al-Rai visited a number of barbershops to check their readiness to resume work from tomorrow, but found most of them closed because the resumption conditions are not suitable for them. Many prefer to keep their shops closed and wait for the fifth phase to start so that they can provide all services their clients want instead of limiting them to haircuts.

Monther Al-Amri, a barber, told Al-Rai that the decision is good but stressed that following four months of closure, limiting the services to haircuts will not be profitable enough for barbers. "Over 50 percent will suffer considerable losses," he warned, adding that reopening entails rent payment, which would be impossible in view of the limited income made by haircutting, limiting the number of customers allowed into the shop and forcing them to book appointments beforehand.

"Most barbershops need retrofitting to match the decision's conditions," said barber Rushdi Abdul Aal, noting that banning beard shaving will lead to unaffordable losses, and that the same tools are already used for both haircuts and shaving. "Most customers come to have their hair cut and beards shaved", he pointed out.

Another barber, Ahmad Badee, said most barbers spent the closure period doing house calls, which is more lucrative because they do not have to pay rent. "The decision to ban beard shaving will automatically increase the price of haircuts," he warned, calling for reconsidering some of the conditions to put an end to barbers' sufferings.

Businesses allowed to resume as part of phase four include gyms, barbershops, beauty salons, health resorts and tailors.
Health requirements for women's salons and barbershops that was set by the government are:

1. Any services that requires touching the face are strictly prohibited until further notice, such as threading, facials, beard shaving/trimming, eyelash and eyebrow tinting, tattooing, makeup, piercings, etc.
2. Gatherings and communal activities are strictly prohibited.
3. Sauna, steam rooms, massages, baths (Moroccan/Turkish) and hot tubs (Jacuzzi) are strictly prohibited until further notice.
4. Using disposable tools and equipment as much as possible.
5. Encouraging clients to bring their own kits for shaving, etc.
6. Equipment must be thoroughly disinfected between clients.
7. Home services are not allowed.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health set a number of conditions to allow reopening gyms and spas. The preventive guidelines include training coaches and staff members on all safety protocols, and following prevention measures to prevent infection. Gym instructions include checking visitors' temperatures, having visitors wear face masks, and using one entry gate. Meanwhile, visitors must be aged 15-60, and entry will be for a limited period set by appointments booked beforehand. Fingerprint devices are not allowed to be used, while and constant sterilization of the premises is required.

The regulations also include daily checkup of staff members and keeping a record of these checkups, inquiring about visitors' health conditions on records, training staff members on how to handle suspected cases and allocating a special team to deal with them. Further, the health ministry stressed the need to observe social distancing, reduce the number of staff members, using marks on the ground for social distancing, reducing training periods, dividing trainees into groups, using elevators only for the disabled and ensuring the safety of staff members.