Getting a haircut? Masks still required at this Regina salon

A Regina hair salon will require its clients to wear masks for a while longer.

Even though all public health orders, including mandatory masks in public indoor spaces, were lifted Sunday, the owners of Lotus and Oak plan to continue with face coverings.

Co-owner Tori Usher found the removal of public health measures rushed.

“We thought it would be a little bit slower, in a sense of all of a sudden, ‘OK, everything’s back to normal. We’re good,’ ” Usher said.

As a personal service provider, she expected masks to stay mandatory for longer.

Her business partner, Shana Moryski, agreed.

“One minute we’re fully protected and all of sudden, ‘Hey, let’s just take everything off, everything’s back to normal.’ It doesn’t really feel like it and so we’re just going to see how it goes,” Moryski said.

Neither Usher nor Moryski expects much pushback from clients, if any. In fact, the pair have been fielding calls from clients asking if the salon would continue with its COVID measures.

They looked to other businesses for guidance. Seeing as many others would continue with mandatory masking, they decided to follow suit.

Since announcing their decision on Facebook, feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

“I don’t think we’ve gotten as many likes as we have on a post like that,” Usher said.

It also appears that staff are on board.

“I’m sure everybody just wants to peel these things off but I think they agree. We are in close contact, closer than you would be in a lot of other places (and) a lot of other situations,” Moryski said.

The salon owners can’t pinpoint when they might lift their mask rule. Usher said they’re taking it day by day, watching what happens as the province fully opens.

“We’re going to wait for these masks to come off for the rest of the province and see what spikes up or doesn’t,” she said.

“Then it’s kind of go from there. (We’ll) see how the girls are feeling and our clients are feeling.”

Regina police concerned about ‘conflict’

Now that all the COVID measures are lifted provincewide, it’s up to businesses to enforce their own rules.

Regina Police Chief Evan Bray said conflicts between businesses and customers will be their biggest concern during the final phase of reopening.

“We are going to have people that are saying, ‘There is no public health order and I’m not wearing a mask.’ However business owners still have the right to protect themselves and their customers (and) their employees,” said Bray.

Bray said officers fully expect to respond to calls if things get heated.

“There is going to be conflict. There’s no question about that and so really, it’s about helping people understand rights and taking that kind of patient peacemaker approach,” said Bray.

People won’t be charged under the public health order because, Bray explained, there won’t be one in place anymore. He said people have to understand a business has the right to ask customers to wear a mask when in their building.

“People that own businesses still have the right to refuse service, to tell people, ‘No, you’re not welcome here,’ and so we respond to those calls regularly anyways (and) take COVID out of the picture,” said Bray.

Bray said he’s excited to see restrictions lift but adds COVID is still here and officers will be taking precautions. They will have masks available as part of their PPE for hands-on situations including arrests or helping people who are in medical distress.

Officers no longer need to wear a mask while outside, in their vehicle or in private areas of police headquarters where the public is not allowed.

— With files from 980 CJME’s Britton Gray and Andrew Shepherd