Salon reopens — but turns away NC workers from Tyson plant with coronavirus outbreak
A North Carolina salon has reopened, but it’s turning away workers from a Tyson Foods facility that experienced a coronavirus outbreak.
SmartCuts in Wilkesboro decided to shut out some customers after more than 500 employees at the local poultry plant tested positive for COVID-19, The Charlotte Observer reported last week.
Staff members say they want to help everyone stay safe, according to news outlets.
“It wasn’t to dishonor or disrespect them at all, but when they had 570 out of 2,200 employees test positive, it just raised a red flag and gave us concern,” hair salon owner Bob Hartley told WXII.
One Tyson worker says she sees it as another example of processing plant employees being shunned, HuffPost reported.
“They’re getting our food, but they won’t service us,” Amy McGinty told the news outlet.
The Wilkesboro salon plans to start serving Tyson employees after June 8 and will offer them a $3 discount, according to WXII.
A representative from the salon wasn’t immediately available Monday morning to respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News.
The new policy comes after N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper allowed salons to reopen on Friday as part of his second phase of lifting statewide coronavirus-related restrictions. The businesses had been forced to close in late March to help reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19.
Reopened salons are allowed to operate with limited capacity and other precautions, The News & Observer reported.
Coronavirus outbreaks have been reported at meat and poultry plants across the country, including several in North Carolina. The Wilkesboro facility temporarily shut down earlier this month for disinfecting, The Charlotte Observer reported.
The disruptions have prompted grocery stores to limit the amount of meat and poultry customers can purchase.
Wilkesboro is roughly 55 miles west of Winston-Salem.
This story was originally published May 26, 2020 at 10:01 AM.
