Barbershops to Open as COVID-19 Rules Ease in Parts of California

Strict Isolation Measures in Place in Northeastern China as Virus Continues to Spread

As China’s National Health Commission continued to announce more CCP virus infections in northeastern China, locals described a tense atmosphere as they scrambled to understand the true scale of the outbreak. Chinese authorities have consistently underreported virus infections, leading to citizens’ distrust of official data. The CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, first broke out in central China’s Wuhan city in late 2019. It quickly spread across the country. After a brief period in which most regions of China reported little to no new infections, since early April, virus outbreaks have occurred in the provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning in northeastern China. Jilin Jilin authorities announced the “patient zero” of the second wave outbreak on May 8, a 45-year-old cleaning lady who worked at…

SACRAMENTO, Calif.—Barbershops and hair salons can re-open with some changes to their operations in parts of California where public health officials call it safe, Governor Gavin Newsom said on Tuesday, as the most populous U.S. state continued to ease its CCP virus-related restrictions.

Salon employees in the 47 of California’s 58 counties that have been cleared to re-open them will be required to wear face coverings and encouraged to also don goggles or other eye protection when working with customers, new guidelines released on Tuesday said. Customers must also wear face coverings, use hand sanitizer and follow social distancing guidelines.

Workers and customers must all be screened for fever and other symptoms of COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus.

The move to allow haircuts by appointment in most of the state’s 58 counties comes a day after Newsom allowed churches to hold abbreviated services with no more than 25% of their buildings’ capacity.

Nationwide, some health experts warn that reopening too quickly could trigger outbreaks of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. Twenty U.S. states reported an increase in new cases for the week ended May 24 as the death toll nears 100,000, according to a Reuters analysis. Florida reported a nearly 6% increase, while New York registered a double-digit decline.

In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday called on President Donald Trump to support infrastructure spending to jumpstart the U.S. economy as states further relaxed lockdowns and some people flouted precautions aimed at curtailing the CCP virus.

Recognizing the risk of a second surge of the disease, Newsom chastised Californians who packed beaches over the Memorial Day weekend, or congregated without face coverings.

“We’re not even out of the first wave of this pandemic,” he said. “This pandemic has just begun.”

By Sharon Bernstein

Epoch Times staff contributed to this report.

Focus News: Barbershops to Open as COVID-19 Rules Ease in Parts of California

Taiwan Considers Revoking Hong Kong’s Special Status as Beijing’s National Security Law Looms

TAIPEI鈥擟hina’s planned national security law may prompt Taiwan to revoke the special status it extends to Hong Kong, President Tsai Ing-wen said, a move that could anger Beijing and make it harder for Hongkongers to visit and invest. China is proposing the new legislation for the Chinese-ruled city after months of anti-government protests, and the decision has already ignited renewed unrest in Hong Kong and prompted condemnation from Western countries. The demonstrators have won widespread sympathy in democratic, self-ruled Taiwan, and the support for the protesters by Tsai and her administration has further fueled tensions between Taipei and Beijing, which views the island state as part of its territory. China has repeatedly denounced Taiwan’s government for supporting the protesters. Writing on her Facebook page late on Sunday, Tsai said the…