Coronavirus: Hong Kong beauticians vent frustrations online as operators open shops in protest against social-distancing rules

The protest involved online calls for the government to help the industry reopen, with participants saying they were in dire straits amid prolonged closures

Many beauty parlours opened their doors with staff in full protective gear to show they could adopt tighter safety standards, though they did not serve customers

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Beauty industry workers take part in an online protest against prolonged closures under the city’s social-distancing rules on Thursday. Photo: Handout

Published: 5:16pm, 7 Jan 2021Updated: 11:32pm, 7 Jan 2021

Thousands of Hong Kong beauty industry workers vented their frustrations in an online protest on Thursday, railing against extended business closures amid the city’s fourth wave of coronavirus infections and demanding the government allow operators to reopen so they can earn a living.

Over 3,400 people joined the live-streamed protest, with social media users accusing the government of being unsympathetic to their plight and offering insufficient financial support for the beleaguered industry, which was forced to shut down for 114 days last year and will remain closed until later this month at the earliest.

They also demanded a dialogue with the government, which the Chief Secretary’s Office said on Wednesday would be arranged via videoconferencing.

Commenting online, the beauticians on Thursday demanded the government let them get back to work, with some saying they were struggling to make ends meet as expenses and debt piled up.

Beauty businesses were most recently ordered to suspend operations from December 10, with the policy extended to at least January 20 as the government tried to curtail the city’s fourth wave of infections.

Beauty salons opened with workers in protective gear to show they were ready to serve customers again. Photo: Handout