Monday, May 25, 2020

New Protocols for COVID-19

I was forced to close my massage practice at the end of March due to the coronavirus pandemic and have been working hard on new protocols to enable me to reopen my practice. Unfortunately, there is no way to remove all risk, so please consider carefully whether the benefits of receiving a massage outweigh the risks.

I will be reopening my practice on June 1, 2020 with additional precautions to maintain a safe environment for my clients. As always, do not schedule or come in for a massage if you have any COVID-19 symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat, muscle aches, shortness of breath, sudden changes in taste or smell). I recommend downloading the Healthy Together app to check your symptoms, access a test if needed, and help Utah track the virus and notify you of potential exposure. Also, if you or anyone in your household has had symptoms or traveled in the past 14 days, please wait to schedule until quarantine time has passed. Individuals without an appointment are asked to either stay home or wait in the car.

When you come in for your appointment, please wear a face covering. Hand sanitizer will be provided as you enter the treatment room. I will be maintaining a log of all appointments and checking your symptoms before the session begins. This includes a temperature check with a touchless infrared thermometer. The purpose of the log is to assist with contact tracing efforts.

Face coverings are required to be worn throughout the massage session (yes, I will be wearing one too). A cotton cloth will be draped over the facerest to allow you to breathe easy while still providing the barrier needed during face down time. I am not able to provide any service that requires removal of the face covering so any facial massage will be limited. Inability to wear a face covering is considered a contraindication for massage at this time.

For now, my typical use of hot stones in every session will be on hold. I will be offering full hot stone massages (limited to one customer per day). The time it takes to heat the stones, then properly clean and disinfect them after each client necessitates this. Also, I will be scheduling extra time between sessions to allow for proper cleaning and sanitizing of the massage room. Contactless forms of payment, like Venmo or PayPal, are encouraged, but not required.

I appreciate your patience and understanding as we take these small steps towards getting back to normal here in Utah. This has been a trying ordeal for all of us, and I know you’re as excited to get a massage again as I am to be back to work. Please, continue to follow the guidelines issued by the Utah Department of Health so we can all keep each other healthy and safe. 

Price Adjustment

I have not changed my rates in over 10 years, but my business expenses and the cost of living has slowly risen as time has passed. Making a modest adjustment to my prices has been long overdue, and with the extra costs of cleaning supplies and other safety precautions, I have made the decision to change my base rate from $60 to $70 for one hour. Additional time will stay at $50/hr so the rate increase will not multiply with longer sessions. You’ll pay $95 for 90 minutes and $120 for 2 hours. A full list of services and prices is available on my website. Thank you all so much for your support, and I look forward to getting you back on my table very soon!   

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