A Sydney Hairdresser Whose Clientele Includes Kylie Minogue Is A Potential COVID Superspreader

A Sydney hair salon with very rich and famous clientele has become a potential COVID superspreader, with contact tracers scrambling to contact more than 900 clients who were exposed to the infectious Delta strain.

Joh Bailey hair salon in Double Bay has now been linked to a cluster of confirmed COVID-19 cases, according to the ABC. Contact Tracers at NSW Health are now trying to determine a clear transmission chain.

“Investigations have revealed that a person who was infectious on June 15 and 16 was the source of the infection for the Joh Bailey hairdressing in Double Bay, Fresh Nails salon in Westfield Bondi Junction and the Life Cafe, Bondi,” NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant said.

“A close contact of this person then introduced the infection to the Tropicana Cafe [in Darlinghurst].”

According to Chant, at least three staff members were working while infectious, while another two clients have also tested positive.

“I expect more cases to be detected over the coming days and I’m urging all clients and staff of Joh Bailey between June 15 and 23 to be tested and maintain quarantine as directed by NSW Health,” she said.

On Thursday, Joh Bailey said that both he and the salon’s co-founder Marilyn Koch had tested negative to COVID. The business partners started the salon in 80s and never looked back. They have styled the hair of Olivia Newton-John, Kylie Minogue, Elle Macpherson and Linda Evangelista.

“This is uncharted territory and obviously an extremely difficult time,” Bailey wrote on social media.

“We have always maintained a high standard of COVID procedures but the sneaky bugger got in somehow!”

As of midnight tonight, four local government areas in Sydney will be placed under a formal lockdown. Those LGAs are the City of Waverley, Woollahra, Randwick and Sydney.

If you’re unsure about whether that’s you, have a squiz at this list of Sydney lockdown suburbs.

More Stuff From PEDESTRIAN.TV