2020
After the stay at home order was lifted in Springfield, hair salons were able to reopen as long as the
stylist and clients both wore masks. Two stylists at this Great Clips hair salon at 1864 S. Glenstone in the
Plaza Shopping Center tested positive for COVID-19 and saw 139 clients while contagious. The story
made national news and was widely circulated for days after the initial report. Many threats and public
outcries were made against Great Clips. All Springfield Great Clip locations temporarily closed. The
Springfield-Greene County Health Department found that none of the exposed clients contracted the
virus. Months later, several states and the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention use this
incident as a case study for the correct use of masking. A Center for Disease Control (CDC) report shows
Great Clips’ use of face coverings “likely mitigated [the] spread of SARS-CoV-2” among the 139 exposed
clients. The case was also cited as evidence for implementation of a citywide face mask mandate in
Springfield. CoxHealth President and CEO Steve Edwards said, “The Great Clips exposure will now
instruct the world how to more safely navigate the pandemic.” Edwards called the CDC report the “most
compelling data in the nation and in the world about the merits of masking.”
Object Details
Categories: Cities & Towns, Health, Science & Technology
Date: 2020
Subject: Coronavirus; Personal protective equipment; Businesses
Collection Name: Enduring COVID-19 in the Ozarks
Contributing Institution: Springfield-Greene County Library District
Accession Number: DIG_COVID-19_0163
Copy Request: The Springfield-Greene County Library District does not hold copyright on many of the materials in the Local History & Genealogy collection. Patrons assume all responsibility for obtaining the necessary permissions for publication and further use, and assume sole responsibility for any infringement of the literary rights, copyrights, or other rights which pertain to these materials.
Rights: The Springfield-Greene County Library District offers broad public access to its collection to enhance education and scholarship. Written permission is required for distribution, reproduction, or other use of protected images(s) beyond that allowed by fair use or other statutory exemptions. For more information on using this image, contact the Springfield-Greene County Library District.
County: Greene
Region: Southwest
Type: Building
Language: English
Latitude: 37.17973672893273
Longitude: -93.26243269903644
Photographer: Ben Divin
Photograph Date: June 1, 2020