Rochester City Council Vice President Willie Lightfoot has sent more than a thousand signatures on a petition to Governor Andrew Cuomo, asking him to reopen barber shops and beauty salons across New York State closed for the coronavirus.
Lightfoot is also president of the United Professional Barbers and Cosmetologists Association. His petition has signatures from industry workers, clients and business owners hit by the shutdown.
Lightfoot says New Yorkers need to be safe, but viral spread has not been linked to appearance enhancement industry businesses. He says those businesses had been following state guidance on how to do business safely.