HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – Update: According to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, DaViece Hair Team and Day Spa in Harrisburg was not granted an exemption to operate salon services, but to provide critical PPE (bulk hand sanitizer) to other local businesses, as they stated in their exemption application.
DCED is reaching out to the salon to make it clear that they can only operate the portion of their business that was authorized for exemption, and that they cannot open for any other salon service.
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Salons, barbershops and spas are ordered to stay closed in counties that are in both the red and yellow phases of the Governor’s plan, but a salon in Harrisburg has been granted an exemption.
The owner of DaViece Hair Team and Day Spa says he was granted the exemption about two weeks ago, but hasn’t reopened yet, but plans to sometime this week, when he says he can make sure his COVID-19 safety plan is in place.
Another salon owner in Carlisle says she’s confused, since salons and the like aren’t allowed to reopen, even in the yellow phase of the Governor’s plan.
“I’m not upset so much with the salon owner, as I am so much with the Governor and the team that has decided with the cherry-picking of who obtains a waiver and who doesn’t,” said Lara Bentley, owner of Indigo Color Bar & Salon.
Bentley didn’t apply for a waiver, simply because she thought she couldn’t get one.
“Now that I know that there’s another salon in Harrisburg open, I actually will try and apply for one and see where it leads,” said Bentley.
Under the Governor’s order, exemptions are for businesses that support or provide goods and services necessary for life-sustaining businesses to continue to operate.
“Consistency and I would like to see some transparency as far as why these waivers were chosen the way they were chosen and the consistency of, if one is allowed to be open, that is the same exact business, why somebody else can’t,” said Bentley.
When we reached out to state officials, we weren’t told why DaViece Hair Team and Day Spa is allowed to reopen, but they said a business with an exemption should only be operating life-sustaining activities as listed on their application.
The owner of DaViece Hair Team and Day Spa wouldn’t say why he was granted the exemption either.
