Hanoians line up for eleventh hour haircuts

By Tung Dinh May 25, 2021 | 05:55 pm PT

Hanoians began waiting in front of barbershops early in the morning to get their hair cut before all salons were closed Tuesday afternoon as a Covid-19 safety measure.

Facing the complicated development of Covid-19, the Hanoi Peoples Committee has asked food and beverage establishments as well as salons and beauty parlors to shut down starting Tuesday afternoon to curn the spread of the virus. As a result, people flocked to the barbershops to get their haircuts before they are closed.

People flocked to barbershops of all kinds after the Hanoi People's Committee ordered the closure of all food and beverage establishments as well as salons and beauty parlors starting Tuesday afternoon. A month into the new wave that started April 27, Vietnam has recorded 2,873 local Covid-19 cases in 30 cities and provinces.

Huynh, a barber in Dong Da District, said: Within 2.5 hours, I cut hair for about 7-8 people. Everyone wants get a haircut before barbershops are closed. On normal days, there are no customers at this time. If there are customers, it is usually in the evening when everyone comes home from work.

Huynh, a street barber in Dong Da District, said: "Within 2.5 hours, I had finished about 7-8 haircuts. Everyone wants one before the barbershops are closed. On normal days, there are no customers at this time. It is only in the evening when everyone returns home from work that I usually get customers.

A barbershop on Thai Thinh Street, Dong Da District, starts to get crowded at 9 a.m. Normally, our shop has no customers in the morning. However, after it was announced that barbershops will be temporarily closed starting this afteroon, the number of customers coming to the shop has increased dramatically, as crowded as on New Years Day, Dao Duy Ly, a store representative, said.

A barbershop on Thai Thinh Street in Dong Da District was getting crowded at 9 a.m. "
Normally, our shop has no customers in the morning. However, after the temporary closure was announced, the number of customers increased dramatically. It was as crowded as New Year's Eve," said Dao Duy Ly, an associate.

Many customers have to wait for an hour for their turn. If cusotmers had not make an appointment in advance, the they will be turned down by the owner.

Many customers had to wait for an hour for their turn. Several were turned away because they did not fix an appointment in advance.

Following the preventive measures, many customers wear masks during the hair cutting process.

Many customers and barbers wore face masks as part of safety protocol.

I will go home after finishing this morning and my husband will be the only one earning income now. Ill go back to work when we are allowed to reopen, Nhung, the shops hair-washing staff, said.

"I will go home after finishing up this morning and my husband will be the only one making money. I'll go back to work when we are allowed to reopen," Nhung, the shop's hair-washing staff, said.

Ive been cutting hair for more than 10 years and this is how I earn an income for the whole family. I still have no plans and just hope the outbreak will end soon so that everyone can continue to work, Thuan said.

"I've been cutting hair for more than 10 years and this is how I provide for the whole family. I have no plans and just hope the outbreak will end soon so that everyone can continue to work," said Thuan as he packed up for the day.

Quang Huy is pulling a cart full of his tools, bringing it to dock them at a nearby kindergarten. I will have to anchor the tool cart at the kindergarten and will resume when the pandemic is over. But with the current development, I dont know when things will return to normal.

Quang Huy pulls his mobile salon to a kindergarten, where he will park it.
"I have to anchor the cart at the kindergarten and resume when the pandemic is over. But with the current situation, I don't know when things will return to normal."