Santa Barbara County releases guidelines for hair salons, churches to reopen

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. - Santa Barbara County has released an updated health officer order which allows for the reopening of places of worship and barbershops and hair salons.

The order, which can be found here, went into effect at 5 p.m. on Tuesday.

The County released this health officer order following Governor Gavin Newsom's announcement that the state is moving into Stage 3 of the state's reopening plan.

The order provides updated guidance for places of worship and providers of religious services and cultural ceremonies, graduation ceremonies, hair salons, and barbershops.

The guidelines can be found below:

Places of worship and providers of religious services and cultural ceremonies may:

• Provide services virtually;
• Provide services in-person, provided attendance is limited to 25% of the building capacity, or a maximum of 100 attendees, whichever is lower.; and
• Operate offices for administrative support for the places of worship and providers.

Graduations may be provided:

• Through streaming or other technology; or
  
• In-person if all of the following protocols are followed:
  • All activity must occur outdoors. Inside ceremonies are prohibited;
  • All persons attending the activity must be inside a motor vehicle occupied only be persons from the same household or living unity;
  • All motor vehicles at the gathering must maintain at least a minimum distance of six feet from all other vehicles;
  • Graduates may be outside the vehicle to walk across a stage, receive a diploma/award, or have a photo taken as long as social distancing of at least six feet is maintained at all times; and
  • Diplomas, certificates, and programs may be distributed from school to graduate or participants in car.
• An option for schools to assemble an outdoor graduation ceremony is possible if the total number of all attendees is less than 100 people and social distancing is maintained. 

Hair salons and barbershops may provide in-person services if:

• Both the worker and customer wear face coverings for the entirety of the service. 
• Services that cannot be performed with a face covering on both the worker and customer or that require touching of the customer’s face are not allowed. 

More guidance and the full Health Officer Order can be viewed here.