a bit of humor: Massage in a COVID world

https://youtu.be/Ith8K4cWb_M

Time frame to re-open businesses in WV per governor 4/27/20

[4/27/20 afternoon]
If you haven't seen it yet, here is the governor's plan to allow businesses in WV to re-open:
https://coronavirus.wvgovstatus.com/WV_Strong_The_Comeback.pdf

So bottom line is that "massage parlors" (cough sputter puke) are included in the 3-6 week phase of re-opening the state. Week 1's date has not yet been determined or announced so we don't yet know the dates of "3-6 weeks".

Here are pertinent points if you don't feel like looking through the whole plan [my comments are in brackets]:

For now

• continue physical distancing
• wear face coverings in public if physical distancing is difficult
• follow current Stay at Home Order until it is lifted
• follow all county Health Dept regulations [I cannot find any for Marion County]
• telework when possible [hard to do massage therapy that way]

What must happen before re-opening begins

• WV must have 3 consecutive days of cumulative positive tests below 3%  
• [Isn't that going down now that they are testing more people who are asymptomatic, so does that really tell us anything?]
• "Allowing" but not "requiring" businesses to re-open

Week 1

• outpatient healthcare working with boards and associations to develop appropriate criteria 
• includes primary care, dental, PT, OT, mental health, "etc." [Can "etc." include massage since in many ways it is very similar to PT and OT, so we can be included in Week 1 if the Massage Board develops appropriate criteria for us to resume our practices?]
• "testing of daycare staff" - can we get testing, too?

Week 2

• small businesses with fewer than 10 employees [most of us fit that description]
• professional services: by appointment only, clients waiting in their vehicle and not in the business's office [we can adhere to both of those practices]
• includes hair and nail salons and dog grooming [grooming of people and pets is more important than massage?]
• with physical distancing, sanitization, and face coverings [granted that we can't stay 6 feet away from our clients while we are working, but we can certainly sanitize and wear face coverings]

Weeks 3-6

• offices, retail stores, parks, gyms, dine-in restaurants, hotels, casinos, spas/massage parlors, and other small businesses [um, what? PARLORS? really???]
• [so massage is at the end of the list of non-essential businesses...]
• [there is nothing at all specified in terms of face coverings, physical distancing, cleaning, etc.]

Unknown time

• nursing home visits, entertainment (movies, sports, concerts), gatherings larger than 25 people

Re-opening may change if

• unexpected increase in COVID hospitalizations
• significant outbreaks in community-based transmissions (may be county by county)
• cumulative number of positive tests above 3%

Zoom conference with Stephen Smith May 8th, 7:pm

Chrissy Zeltner has organized a zoom conference with Stephen Smith for self-employed/small-business owner massage therapists on Friday, May 8th at 7:pm.
She also made it a Facebook event.
On-line: https://zoom.us/j/406771647
Call in via phone: 1-646-876-9923

The floor is open for the topics that YOU want to cover, so bring your ideas and questions! Hope to see you there, um, here, um... on my computer, yeah, that's it!

Please share this with other bodyworkers.