WAIT! Go to your insurance provider and find out

One of our group contacted me after reading my update following the Governor's speech earlier today [posted immediately below this post]. I had not even thought to look at the ABMP or AMTA websites. Thank you, Marcie! I'm not sure what other organizations similar to those exist, but if you belong to one, please check in with your organization, too.

ABMP website https://www.abmp.com/ includes a page called "Information for ABMP members on state shut-down orders." In part it says: "As you know, cities and states across the country are calling for non-essential business shutdowns in order to curb the spread of COVID-19. Massage therapy and cosmetology services are included in these mandates, but in some cases there is a lack of clarity for hospital-based massage, and we are working on clarification in this area. If you are in a state with one of these orders in effect, please pause your practice. Your ABMP liability insurance coverage includes an 'illegal acts' exclusion of coverage, so if someone is still practicing during these executive orders, they are not covered."
https://www.abmp.com/updates/news/information-abmp-members-state-shutdown-orders

While AMTA does have information about COVID-19, I don't see a similar statement to what ABMP made.
https://www.amtamassage.org/index.html

Neither AMTA nor ABMP have any state-specific West Virginia information yet on their websites.

I am not absolutely certain if ABMP has confirmed that massage is included in shutdown orders in West Virginia since it is not specifically mentioned in any Executive Orders so far. Massage therapy is considered part of healthcare, even to the extent that some health insurance policies cover it. But all I can do is opine - present a different interpretation.

So, once again, I urge you to do your homework. Read the state's Executive Orders, talk with folks at ABMP and AMTA, educate yourselves. Certainly none of us (at least I hope none of us) wants to break the law or do any sort of act which would render us not covered by our insurance policies.

Things in the world of COVID-19 change not just day by day, but minute by minute. So find out for yourselves where things stand. I'm not trying to tell you to interpret anything one way or the other (nor am I encouraging you to continue to see clients), but rather offer a different point of view and some of the sources for you to go to.

Thank you, Marcie! If anyone else has input, please share it with me so I can share it with this group.

[Right now I'm sitting at home, too tired to try and reach Les Sweeny tonight (a great guy who is president of ABMP) and with all my office equipment packed up and in storage. So I don't actually "have a horse in this race" right now. But I still want to figure things out and share whatever information I can with you.]