Did you get a clandestine haircut on Broadway in Kingston in the last few weeks? If so, you may have been exposed to COVID-19.
Ulster County Health Commissioner Dr. Carol Smith announced today that a Kingston barber who has been providing haircuts during the last few weeks at a barbershop on Broadway has tested positive this week for the COVID-19 virus. Anyone who has received a haircut in a Kingston barbershop in the last three weeks is urged to promptly contact their primary care physician and seek testing, or contact the Ulster County COVID-19 hotline at (845) 443-8888.
County officials did not immediately respond to an inquiry asking the name of the barbershop and whether the business was fined for operating in violation of state restrictions.
During the ongoing New York Pause directives from Gov. Andrew Cuomo, no barbershops, beauty salons, nail salons or other personal hygiene services are allowed to be open and operating for fear of spreading the potentially deadly virus.
“We are taking extraordinary measures to try and minimize the spread of this dangerous disease and learning that a barbershop has been operating illicitly for weeks with a COVID-19 positive employee is extraordinarily disheartening,” said Dr. Smith. “As much as we would all like to go out and get a professional haircut, this kind of direct contact has the potential to dramatically spread this virus throughout our community and beyond. I urge anyone who has received a haircut at a Kingston barber in the last several weeks to immediately contact their physician or call our hotline to arrange for a diagnostic test.”
Dear Barber, Thanks for Selfishly extending the lock down.
This article is incredibly irresponsible and
callous. The name of the offending shop should be published along with this article or this
article shouldn’t be published until the name has been released. We mustn’t shame the offender but we need to exonerate those businesses who followed the executive order. To not name the offender is to cast doubt on everyone. Irresponsible at best.
Agreed. I believe that of all stories, in all news agencies. You know “full disclosure” . If your going to write a story of, let’s say, someone jumping off a bridge, being found dead in a local creek, shot somewhere, killed in a car accident, or of a dumbass barber, who has now spread death because of ludicrous ignorance, etc… Than do print the story with the name everytime, or do not print the story. I do not agree with the whole; “… Withholding name till next of kin is notified…”, and such. Everyone, next of kin included, is always, just about, informed by the time daily news is published, the next day. Just tell us for Jakes sake.
It seems a bit careless to use a (borrowed without permission?) photo of an out-of-state small barber’s shop, that includes his Instagram handle. I initially interpreted the use of the photo and identifying Instagram handle as indicative of the identity of the barber in the story.
This photo came from a site of free-to-use stock photos. If we knew the identity of the barber, we wouldn’t have disclosed it as a clue in such fashion, it would be in the article.
As far as being careless enough to not notice the Instagram handle on the placard among the other items on the table: guilty as charged.
Blood-letting as a service of the barber is his pole’s advertisement? After I learned what killed George Washington, I never went into a barber shop again. We cut at home.
There is just something in me that says this article may not ring true. There is nothing to verify its authenticity. This may simply be manipulation…