Owner of a beauty salon in the city of Rosario, Emilio Sguazzini, 72, decided to do some sort of performance to protest against the new health restrictions imposed by the Argentine government in an attempt to contain the coronavirus. Now, according to the measures in force since Saturday (22), only activities deemed essential can be carried out, such as the sale of food and medicines.
Other types of business, such as restaurants, on the other hand, are only allowed to operate for deliveries or withdrawals: the person calls, reserves the product and picks it up at the store, which must be semi-closed.
When it was impossible to work, Sguazzini placed one of the chairs used to serve customers outside his establishment and asked an employee to sit on it. Then he simulated a haircut through the metal grid that closes the place. The image, of course, has gone viral.
“We even received messages from people in Switzerland,” says Lucas, Sguazzini’s son. “We did it in protest, but in a good mood. It is to show the hypocrisy of the measures, which allow certain sectors to react out the window, while others must remain closed. We are injured since the start of the crisis. “
It is not only on social networks that Sguazzini’s action has had repercussions, and some beauty salons have decided to emulate the demonstration, both in Rosario and Buenos Aires.
Hairdressers were closed last year for six months. Subsequently, they were allowed to serve with a reduced number of clients and to schedule reservations. The increase in the curve of Covid-19 cases in Argentina in recent weeks, however, has led the government of President Alberto Fernández to return to phase 1 of restrictions in areas considered to be in a health emergency, such as the metropolitan region of Buenos Aires and other big cities in Argentina like Rosario.
Today, the country has 733.95 new daily Covid infections per 1 million people, according to data from Our World in Data. Brazil, for comparison, has 306.48 cases / 1 million. Two months ago, this index in Argentina was 162.63 / 1 million. In total, there are 3.51 million contaminations.
Regarding deaths, the country recorded on Sunday the bar of 11.19 deaths per day per 1 million inhabitants (2.49 / 1 million two months ago). Since the start of the crisis, Argentina has recorded 73,688 deaths.
Sguazzini, a hairdresser for 55 years, says he will not serve real clients because “it is against the law”.
“But I think it’s important to show the authorities that our industry is suffering too much from these measures.” Of the six employees he had, he said, four have had to be made redundant since the start of the pandemic. “We were now only allowed to sell deliverables, like shampoos and hair care. But obviously we can’t keep the business like that. Our strong point is the haircut. “.