Dear Editor,

THE Merriman Mall, once a nice open space in Georgetown, has now become a cluttered, chaotic and jumbled place, with just about everything going on there.At first, when the Council prepared a section of the mall as a play area for children, most citizens were satisfied at this development, but the Council doesn’t seem to know when to stop, and went on building a presidential park, a petting zoo, and an area that resembles horse stables — which turned out to be permanent stalls for the rural kitchen gardeners who occupy them on weekends.

But the biggest travesty of all is the placement of roadside cosmetologists under little, open tents right next to a restaurant by the name of ‘Jerk Hut’. How could the City Council, which is responsible for the public health of the city, be so reckless?

Are they not the ones responsible for licensing this restaurant and ensuring that good food handling practices are maintained? Are they not also responsible for licensing the hairdressers, barbers and cosmetologists, and ensuring that good hygiene and public health practices are maintained?

So how could they place individuals responsible for providing personal care — such as hair, nails, or makeup — in the open air and near to a restaurant?

In most countries, performing skincare services would require an esthetician’s licence, while providing manicure and other nail services would require a nail technician’s licence. Have the persons operating these trades on the Mall been granted the appropriate licences? Have they been trained to prevent transference of infectious diseases, such as HIV/AIDS and other diseases?

To protect the public’s health in Georgetown, these aestheticians must be made familiar with the diagnosis and treatment of skin conditions, sanitation and infection control procedures, and skin histology and the integumentary system before being allowed to offer their services; and they certainly cannot operate on the open mall, where nail clippings, shaven hair, cotton pads and balls and soiled astringent cloths will be blowing all over the place.

Can the cosmetologists on the mall meet the requirements listed below?

• Each cosmetology establishment must be equipped with an adequate supply of hot and cold running water, and proper plumbing.
• Each cosmetology establishment shall have adequate lighting at all workstations
• Walls, floors, and fixtures must be kept clean and in good repair at all times.
• The area must be made free of hair and other debris after each client has been attended to
• Pedicure chairs, foot spas, and manicure tables must be cleaned and disinfected between use
• Solid waste must be stored and collected so as to avoid health hazards, rodent harborages, insect breeding areas, and accidents
• Every cosmetologist must wash hands with soap and water immediately before serving a client.

What are the new Mayor and City Councillors doing about this violation of the city’s rules?
Sincerely,
RILEY MATTHEWS