Wigan pubs and hair salons get ready to throw open the doors this weekend after coronavirus closure

While many shops were allowed to reopen on June 15, the wait went on for other business owners who had been forced to close their doors when the coronavirus lockdown was imposed in March.

But in recent days, pubs have been stocking up on drinks and hairdressers have been making appointments with clients ready to get back to business on Saturday.

It will not be business as usual though, with social distancing measures and some workers wearing personal protective equipment to help stop the spread of Covid-19.

This weekend the long wait will be over for people desperate to have their hair cut.

The Government has published guidelines for these businesses, which include face visors for staff, seeing clients by appointment and keeping a record of clients and visitors for 21 days to support the NHS test-and-trace system.

Preparations are being made at Mancave Gentleman’s Grooming, on Wallgate, in Wigan town centre.

The shop will be open from 8am to 8pm on Saturday, with PVC screens between the chairs, hand sanitiser for people to use as they enter, gloves and masks for every barber and antibacterial spray for their tools.

No-one will be allowed to wait inside the shop, so a canopy has been erected outside to protect customers from the rain and there will be stickers on the floor to highlight social distancing.

Owner Kawa Ibrahim said: “I’m definitely looking forward to opening. We are constantly getting messages and calls from our customers.

“We are ready for it, so we will see how it goes.”

All 172 Toni and Guy salons nationwide also reopen on Saturday, including the branch in The Galleries.

Measures there will include limiting the number of people looking after one client, staggering appointments, more space between chairs, regular cleaning and the provision of masks, towels and hand sanitiser for clients.

Staff will wear marks and single-use aprons, wash their hands regularly and have their temperature checked daily.

Many Wiganers will also be looking forward to enjoying a pint or glass of wine at their favourite pub or bar.

Sherrington’s, on Kenyon Road in Swinley, will open at 11am on Saturday with a whole host of measures in place to protect staff and customers.

Furniture has been rearranged to allow for social distancing, signs erected, floor markings laid and hand sanitisers put in place.

A manager will be at the front of the building to monitor how many people are inside and start a queueing system if they reach capacity.

There will be table service only, with orders taken via iPads and a new online ordering system being set up.

Staff will wear face masks, have their temperatures checked and have staggered start times.

The business has been closed since March and many customers have been waiting for it to reopen.

Manager Mark Moorcroft said: “We would like to have people back and see the friendly faces again. We want to get back to some sort of normality, even though it’s different.”

Already open again is the cafe at Asda in Wigan, which is offering an expanded takeaway menu, including a wide range of hot drinks. Pizza can be ordered for home delivery via Just Eat.

The firm has social distancing measures including screens at the counter and signs.

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