Science? Data? Judgment? Something Else? Continued Hair Salon Lockdown Raises Questions

Trim-N-Tan Hair Salon in the Upper Peninsula city of Manistique is not open. It has been shuttered by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's coronavirus epidemic lockdown orders.

Whitmer has created a reopening plan that divides the state into regions based on different risk levels. She says the risk levels, and determinations on when it is safe to reopen, are based on data and science, and that it isn't safe enough yet for people to get haircuts.

Manistique is in Schoolcraft County, which has reported a total of four COVID-19 cases and no deaths. For the 51 day period between April 13 through June 3, Schoolcraft County reported one new coronavirus case. There are about 8,000 people who live in the county.

When asked at a June 1 press conference about why hair salons are still prohibited from doing business Whitmer said, "The fact that we’ve gone from a moment where we’ve said everyone needs to stay home, except for these essential things to know, it’s okay to reengage except for a few of these things that still are too risky. That’s our judgment."