Sydneysiders could be forced to wait even longer for a haircut after a sobering new report revealed one in five hairdressers refuse to get vaccinated.
A survey completed by the Australian Hairdressers Council found 22 per cent of respondents refuse to get jabbed, while another 16 per cent felt ‘unsure’.
It comes after the NSW Premier has made repeated promises to relax restrictions after the state hits 70 per cent double-dose vaccinations in mid-October.
Residents will enjoy restored freedoms like visits to pubs, cafeś, restaurants and hair salons while the premier warns the unvaccinated will be ‘left behind’.
Sydneysiders could be forced to wait even longer for a haircut after a sobering new report revealed one in five hairdressers refuse to get vaccinated (pictured, a resident in Burwood)
The report surveyed hairdressers, salon operators and industry employers from across the country, the majority of whom worked in NSW.
Optimistically, almost three-quarters of respondents said they were fully-vaccinated, with 23 per cent having received one dose of a Covid vaccine.
However almost the same figure – 22 per cent – flatly refuse to get vaccinated amid skyrocketing hospitalisation rates and reports case numbers will go beyond 2000.
Pictured: Sandy Chong the chief executive of the Australian Hairdressers Council
Sandy Chong, the chief executive of AHC said they were ‘quite shocked’ by the number of hairdressers who revealed they wouldn’t be opting for the jab.
Ms Chong put the shocking statistic down to hesitancy around the AstraZeneca vaccine and said many were still waiting for Pfizer.
The Federal Department of Health website states that AstraZeneca has been linked to ‘a very rare but serious side effect called thrombosis in combination with thrombocytopenia’.
‘There is a very low chance of this side effect, which may occur in around 4-6 people in every million after being vaccinated,’ it says.
‘The majority of the industry are not vaccinated and won’t be by mid-October because of the access to the vaccine,’ Ms Chong told NCANewswire.
‘If we were to open mid-October, all of my apprentices will not be vaccinated. They can’t get appointments until November and December.’
Survey respondents were divided over whether they would prefer if their staff were vaccinated, with 49 per cent voting ‘no’ and 51 per cent voting ‘yes’.
A survey completed by the Australian Hairdressers Council (ACH) reported 22 per cent of respondents refuse to get jabbed, while another 16 per cent felt ‘unsure’ (pictured, a hairdresser works on a client in Melbourne in October 2020)
Earlier this month the beauty industry was put on high alert after Gladys Berejiklian suggested hairdressers would be among the services that could potentially re-open in Greater Sydney, as long as both stylist and client were vaccinated.
‘Potentially, if someone that’s providing a service is vaccinated and their client is vaccinated, we feel much more comfortable in relaxing that restriction on August 29,’ the premier said.
However during her daily Covid update on August 26 Ms Berejiklian announced residents could gather in groups outside since dubbed the ‘vax picnic rule’.
She said from Monday September 13, anyone who is fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and lives outside of an area of concern can gather in groups of up to five in their own LGA or within 5km of their home.
The reopening of ‘personal care services’ got no mention during the conference leaving shaggy-haired Sydneysiders in the dark.
Survey respondents were divided over whether they would prefer if their staff were vaccinated, with 49 per cent voting ‘no’ and 51 per cent voting ‘yes’ (pictured, a hairdresser colours a woman’s hair in Brisbane in March 2020)
Ms Chong said last month’s swirling rumours that salons could reopen with a vaccine mandate had created a ‘lot of angst and even some resignations’.
She said the floated requirement for both staff and their clientele to get vaccinated had caused a lot of divide among industry professionals.
The chief executive said she would continue to push for priority vaccinations for hairdressers as they are unable to socially distance at work.
It’s believed a government crisis cabinet meeting rejected the idea to reopen salons as it would be seen to be ‘picking favourites’ – with NSW residents would be able to get haircuts, but not receive breast cancer screening or have elective surgery.
Ms Berejiklian said the new rules were the best compromise between meeting the state’s mental health needs and preventing transmission of the virus.
The NSW Premier has confirmed that October will see the return of pubs, cafes, hair salons and retail stores but refused to commit to allowing all areas enjoy relaxed restrictions at the same time (pictured, residents exercise near Manly wharf in Sydney’s northern beaches in August)
On Wednesday, the premier confirmed next month will see the return of pubs, cafes, hair salons and retail stores but refused to commit to letting all areas enjoy eased restrictions at the same time amid continuing high Covid numbers.
While case numbers remain high in the west and southwest, those areas are now leading the charge on vaccinations and are now above the national average jab rate.
When vaccination rates reach the national cabinet target of 70 and 80 per cent as set out by Doherty Institute modelling, the path out of lockdown recommends freedoms for the fully-vaccinated should be applied ‘equally’.
As of Tuesday, NSW vaccination rates are higher than anticipated with 74 per cent of the state’s over-16 population having received their first Covid jab.
About 41 per cent have received their second shot, with the state on track to meet the 70 percent target by mid-October if current trends continue.