I had to cut my fringe live on ITV this week – let’s face it, hairdressers should be considered key workers too

Please can Matt Hancock and his secret team of Sage members relent and let them resume work? It’s not just about hair, these workers are basically our unpaid counsellors, writes Janet Street-Porter

Friday 24 April 2020 17:06 BST
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Cuts deep: salons up and down the country are in trouble
Cuts deep: salons up and down the country are in trouble

The government has extended the list of “key” workers who can register for free testing to include supermarket workers and lorry drivers transporting food. But the list doesn’t include suppliers to the construction industry (electrical, plumbing, timber and materials) – even though the prime minister said it was essential for our economy that building work continued throughout lockdown.

Major companies like Persimmon have just announced they are planning to resume operations, but will they request free testing for their employees?

This inconsistency about who is an “essential” worker also applies to hairdressers – 41,000 are at risk of going bust, according to industry insiders who say that experts “can’t find” a way for their services to carry on and maintain social distancing.

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