From Thursday, fully vaccinated Aucklanders will be able to get a much-needed post lockdown haircut.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Cabinet decided to undertake a trial by allowing hairdressers and barbers in Auckland to open from Thursday to vaccinated travel.
It would be a trial of the vaccination certificates - hairdressers could only take bookings - no walk-ins. All staff must be vaccinated and only vaccinated customers are allowed.
However, Masks and safety precautions had to be taken.
Northcote hairdresser Karen Bilham said the announcement was unexpected but "fantastic".
The owner of Muse Boutique Salon said the last few months of the year are always the busiest and being in lockdown created a backlog of clients.
"We have probably about three months of work now that we have to try push into around four weeks."
Bilham didn't expect her business to reopen before early December but said Monday's news came as a "big relief".
Ardern said hairdressers were chosen because the seating allowed distancing to be maintained.
As a small business owner, Bilham said she will be able to monitor who comes in and out of her boutique salon.
New Zealand Association of Registered Hairdressers chairman Niq James said it was great news for Auckland salons.
"We know it's been really hard for them [Auckland hairdressers] over the past few months especially watching other industries go back that maybe don't have the same health and safety guidelines that we do," he said.
James is confident they will be able to use the vaccine pass system.
"We are just really encouraging people to get out there, make sure they have their vaccination pass before they go."
While some barbers who are used to walk-ins will need to get used to a booking system. James said the system is there to ensure the safety of staff and customers.
"We are hoping that will go fairly smoothly," he said.
Last week, Auckland hairdressers and beauty therapists received calls from desperate customers after a rumour they could soon open.
Salon owner and board member of Hair and Barber New Zealand, Simone Jones, said she had not heard anything official on an early opening.
Morgan & Morgan The Hair Collective in Takapuna addressed the rumour with a post that made it clear there had been no official word.
Earlier this month, the owner of Mint Hair Boutique Karen Erp questioned why their businesses were not allowed to open alongside retail.
"I don't understand why the shopping malls can open but not a small hair salon.
"It defies logic," she said.
In alert level 3.2 close contact businesses that cannot abide by the 2-metre rule (including hairdressers) were not allowed to open.
At the time owner of Fusion Salon Joy Beech said as hairdressers, the entire industry already had very high health and safety regulations already yet she was confused for the reason why the Government had not allowed them to open.
"Hairdressers need to have one of the highest health and safety standards even when we are not in Covid and now I don't understand why we can't open when people can go and get their botox done," she said.
Last week, during deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson's trip to Auckland, he was asked why hairdressers are not allowed to reopen.
Robertson said they were considered "high risk" as a close contact service.
"The more things you have open the bigger the risk," he said
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