Free Case Of COVID-19 With Your Haircut or Manicure?

Bartlesville is a small city (population- 36,423, 80% white) in Oklahoma, near Tulsa. The county seat of Washington County, is probably best known for having been the longtime corporate headquarters of Phillips Petroleum. In 2016, Trump beat Hillary in Washington County by a landslide-- 15,810 (71.2%) to 5,047 (22.7%). In 2018, it wasn't touched by the so-called "blue wave." The open congressional seat was won by right-wing lunatic Kevin Hern and Washington County gave him an R+41 performance.

Oklahoma will have crossed the 6,000 case mark by Memorial Day. There were 111 more reported cases from Friday to Saturday. So far just 311 deaths in the state. Washington County has the 5th most cases-- 304 (and the 4th most deaths-- 32). On Tuesday, the day after Memorial Day, the Nailspot is due to reopen. Reopen again. The first time it reopened ended badly with the owners having to warn all their clients that an employee tested positive for COVID-19. The Washington County Health Department recommended that clients who visited the salon between May 5 (reopening day) and 7 (re-closing day) to quarantine for 14 days.

It's a hop, skip and a jump from Bartlesville to the Missouri border border and a drive from Bartlesville up the I-44 will get you to Springfield in less the three hours. They had a little grooming problem up there too. The Kansas City Star reported that a Great Clips hairstylist exposed dozens of clients to coronavirus while showing symptoms. Famous for lynchings and Wild Bill Hickok, Springfield-- "Queen City of the Ozarks"-- is a much bigger city than Bartlesville (168,000 people); it's by far the biggest town in Greene County, which is a comfortably red bastion. Trump beat Hillary there 77,387 (60.6%) to 42,400 (33.2%). It's the main county on the 7th congressional district, a red hellhole, where the Democrat running against Trumpist incumbent Billy Long in 2018 only garnered 30.1% of the vote.

With a reactionary Republican governor working in tandem with an even more reactionary Republican-controlled state legislature that is trying to kill as many people as they can, "the stylist at a salon franchise in Springfield served 84 clients and exposed seven coworkers, the Springfield-Greene County Health Department said Friday. The hairstylist also visited a Dairy Queen, Walmart and fitness center, officials said."

The announcement comes as barbers and salon operators and their customers across the U.S. fight to reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic. Missouri state leaders allowed these businesses to reopen May 4. 
“I’m very frustrated to be up here,” Springfield-Greene County Health Department Director Clay Goddard said. “And maybe more so, I’m disappointed.”

The hairstylist exhibited symptoms while working on eight days between May 12 and May 20, health officials said. The health department is providing testing to all people “directly exposed” to the hairstylist. The stylist and clients wore masks during the appointments, officials said.

Goddard said people not already contacted by the health department are considered to be “low risk.”

In a statement, the Great Clips franchise owners told McClatchy News the location is closed to undergo sanitizing and “deep cleaning” under guidelines provided by the county health department and CDC.

“The well-being of Great Clips customers and stylists in the salon is our top priority and proper sanitization has always been an important cosmetology industry practice for Great Clips salons,” the owners said.

Goddard commended Great Clips’ actions and deemed the location safe to customers during a news conference Friday.

“We are hopeful that their strictly-enforced policy of masking will prevent any future spread from this case. They also kept detailed records that have made contact tracing a speedy process,” Goddard said.

The health department director said the incident does not affect the community’s “recovery plan” but warned of similar scenarios as the reopening phases turn from mandates to personal responsibility.


“I’m going to be honest with you. We can’t have many more of these. We can’t make this a regular habit or our capability as a community will be strained and we will have to re-evaluate what things look like going forward,” Goddard said. “Each of us owns just how this will go forward in our community.”

About 10 days ago, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Jessica Netzel, the owner of Kingdom Kuts in Appleton, Wisconsin, is suing Gov. Tony Evers over his stay at home order, claiming her constitutional right to idiocy was being violated. Actually what her lawsuit says is that "The orders violate her ability to practice her religion because she cannot attend in-person services or operate Kingdom Kuts, her Christian-based children’s hair salon."

Most Americans think this whole early opening thing is a complete mess-- and they blame Trump. NORC's new poll for the Associated Press found that "When restrictions are lifted... many are apprehensive about re-engaging in activities that draw a crowd, like attending movies, concerts, or sporting events, using public transportation, or even going out to bars and restaurants. People's post shutdown plans depend on what they did before the outbreak. Overall, 38% say they would attend religious services. But among people who attended services at least once a month before the coronavirus outbreak, 67% say they would return to their church, synagogue, or mosque if restrictions were lifted. Fifty-two percent of those who ate out at least once a month before the outbreak say they expect to head to a restaurant or bar. Still, even among those that regularly engaged in activities that draw a crowd, like sporting events, concerts and movies, or using public transportation, fewer than half plan to return to them in the short term once restrictions are lifted."