No new coronavirus cases from Great Clips hair salon in Missouri — yet, officials say

No new coronavirus cases have been found after Great Clips hairstylists served 140 clients while infected with the disease, Missouri health officials say.

The Springfield-Greene County Health Department has tested 42 customers who went to the hair salon and none were positive for COVID-19, officials said during a news conference Friday.

A hairstylist served 84 people while symptomatic, and another potentially exposed 56 clients at the business, officials said.

The hairstylists and customers wore masks during the appointments, officials said.

“I’m encouraged by this news,” Springfield-Greene County Health Department Director Clay Goddard said. “I think it’s solid evidence of the value and protective nature of masking.”

Goddard described the lack of new cases as a “fabulous” development in showing face masks can help stop the spread of COVID-19. He said the health department plans to study the types of masks used by the hairstylists and customers and the amount of time they spent close to each other.

The Great Clips locations in the Springfield area are closed due to threats related to exposures, The Kansas City Star reported. The police department has received two complaints from Great Clips about harassment, officials said.

Goddard defended notifying the public about the cases, saying it’s part of the health department’s effort to be transparent and limit spread of the disease.

“I think that our actions were justified and it’s something I would do again if the same circumstances were present,” Goddard said.

This story was originally published May 29, 2020 at 1:45 PM with the headline "No new coronavirus cases from Great Clips hair salon in Missouri — yet, officials say."