2 Springfield hairstylists test positive for coronavirus, potentially expose 140 clients

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) – Two hairstylists tested positive for the coronavirus recently, and possibly exposed dozens of client while working, health officials say.

A Springfield hairstylist who works at Great Clips served 84 clients over eight days while experiencing symptoms of the coronavirus, the Springfield-Greene County Health Department said on Friday.

Then they announced in a Facebook post Saturday that 56 other Great Clips clients were potentially exposed by a second stylist.

Health officials are testing the rest of the staff and the clients who may have been exposed to the illness.

The announcement came one day after the health department’s director, Clay Goddard, said in a news briefing that the first stylist to get sick worked eight days from May 12 to May 20, with only the 18th off.

The coworker then worked five shifts from May 16 to 20 while experiencing very mild symptoms. 

City officials recently announced plans to relax even more distancing requirements and about a week after the health department started seeing an influx of new travel-related infections.