Meanwhile, the realities of nail salon work make it difficult to mitigate the risk of infection. “There’s really no way for you to socially distance and get a manicure,” Nicole Hallett, a law professor at the University of Chicago who has represented salon workers, told Vox.

In fact, California Gov. Gavin Newsom made headlines on May 7 by saying that the first case of community spread of the coronavirus in the state happened in a nail salon, though he was later criticized for making the comment without specifics to back it up.

Whatever the case in California, nail salon workers around the country feel they are at disproportionate risk because of the nature of their job. But they will likely be under enormous financial pressure to return to work as soon as their salons reopen, Hallett said. Most nail salon employees are low income, and many are undocumented, meaning they can’t access unemployment benefits or other relief.

Read more at Vox