Gavin Newsom blames nail salons as origin of coronavirus in California

by on 05-10-2020 in News

Gavin Newsom detailed his California Phase 2 of its four-stage reopening plan on Friday. In his briefing he was asked why nail salons and hair salons weren't included in the second stage of the plan. His response was direct.

“This whole thing started in the state of California, the first community spread, in a nail salon. I just want to remind everybody of that and that I’m very worried about that,” Newsom said during his daily COVID-19 briefing in Sacramento.

Newsom clearly blamed the nail salons as the origin of the coronavirus outbreak in California and with out providing any evidence.

In response to criticism, Newsom said that it was “just a factual statement, and it was not a statement to be extrapolated as an indictment…of an industry I deeply respect.”

His statement however is not well take by the Vietnamese community. Nail salons are predominately owned by Vietnamese Americans representing about 80% in California. Nail salons fear Newsom's unfounded statements will not only impact business when they are allowed to reopen, but also stoke already increasing xenophobia against Asians in regards to the coronavirus. Some think this could be a political move by Newsom since traditional Vietnamese are predominanently conservative.

Nail salons are fighting back. The Professional Beauty Federation of California, which represents salons,has now published a section on their website: 'Time to Sue Governor Newsom.' The PBFC has decided to sue Governor Newsom to force him to reopen our salons much sooner than his vowed 'months not weeks' timeline. The Professional Beauty Federation of California is planning to sue the governor in the hope of securing a more regulated opening.