With COVID-19 restrictions lifted, barbershops and hair salons have been busy in Newmarket as residents flock in to have the past couple of months of hair growth shorn off — however, some people hadn't bothered to wait out the lockdown.
During the lockdown, personal care businesses were forced to close entirely, and some people started offering haircuts and manicures out of their homes.
In a quiet Newmarket residential neighbourhood, one hairstyling student was giving haircuts in a garage, with enough clients observed coming and going that it was noticed by neighbours.
Speaking to NewmarketToday on the condition of anonymity, the student's cousin, who had helped out with the operation, said they had only been giving haircuts to friends who needed them, and that they had been provided free of charge.
"We were only helping out our friends, that's it," they said.
Although this operation was not making money, resident Helen Roukas Stamatopoulos said she can certainly understand why some people would turn to the underground economy during lockdown.
"People are desperate. They have bills to pay and mouths to feed. If you want it done openly, stop with these lockdowns. Small businesses are suffering," she said.
Stamapopoulos said that many people, and not just business owners, have been hurting under the restrictions, and there is a culture of callousness that has developed toward people who are willing to admit they can't manage under the rules.
"God forbid you talk about people struggling, others will rip your head off because 'it's too bad. Everyone is struggling but we are doing all of this to save us.'
"I think everyone has become so divided since this pandemic started. You have people on one end that are extremely terrified, don't want to leave their homes, refuse to interact with anyone, and have become really mean, to say the least."
On the flipside, however, York Region Public Health said there is evidence that the underground economy for haircuts and other services helped contribute to disease transmission, and it was forced to crack down on some of these operations.
"In one instance, a resident of Simcoe County conducted private, in-home nail services in two York Region residents’ homes during the case’s period of communicability; after further laboratory testing, they were identified as a variant case," said Patrick Casey, York Region director of corporate communications.
Casey noted that these were hardly the only businesses operating in defiance of restrictions over the past couple of months.
"Over the course of the pandemic, York Region has received numerous complaints about businesses operating against provincial regulations; for example, this included restaurants, karaoke bars and banquet halls having patrons when not permitted," he said.
Even though the lockdown was lifted Monday, and hair and nail salons are open again, the region is reminding people they should still only leave home for essential outings. When people do go out, they should keep a physical distance, keep encounters as short as possible, and wash their hands and face coverings.
Enforcement of the rules for businesses will continue as before, said Casey.
"At the direction of York regional council, the York Region COVID-19 enforcement task force continues to inspect businesses across the region to ensure compliance with current public health restrictions and measures," he said.
"Businesses failing to keep their customers and employees safe by not adhering to the mandated COVID-19 safety measures will be subject to fines; repeat offenders could face temporary closure."
