SNAPSHOT SURVEY
BY JAMISON STOIKE
REOPENING CONTINUES
JUNE 2020
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KEY TAKEAWAY:
THE PROCESS OF REOPENING
CONTINUES, but not every spa respondent had
reopened as of June 2020. Only 62 percent had reopened
at the time, with an additional 22 percent intending to
reopen before the end of July.
Both reopened spas and those still closed reported
similar plans to make PPE available to guests and
employees. However, spas which have not reopened were
less likely to implement touchless payments, require a
COVID-19 waiver, allow guests to bypass lockers or
temporarily close locker rooms than those spas that are
already open. Among spa respondents, saunas and
steam rooms were the most-frequently-cited area of the
spa to be closed (72 percent). 44 percent of spas have
discontinued couples massage and 32 percent are no
longer offering in-person fitness or yoga classes.
NO NERVOUSNESS Reopened spa respondents indicated
that employees, guests and local communities were
overwhelmingly favorable to reopening and returning to
work. 83 percent of reopened spas said that staff had a
highly favorable or favorable response to reopening, and
89 percent said the same of new policies and procedures.
93 percent of spas reported a favorable reaction to
reopening among guests, and 82 percent felt their
communities had a favorable reopening response.
PREPARE FOR THE WORST, HOPE FOR THE BEST
No one wants an outbreak of COVID-19 in their spa, but it
may happen regardless of how stringent your sanitation
and hygiene policies are. In that case, it’s best to have a
plan for what to do when it happens before it actually
happens. This month, Snapshot Survey respondents were
asked to share their plans in response to a confirmed
case of COVID-19 in their spa.
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“If an employee is confirmed with COVID-19, we
would request he/she isolate as soon as possible, then
leave the spa facility. The spa would likely close down
for deep cleaning. Contact tracing would also be
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instituted. Same procedures for [guests], but we would
have a separate private room for further screening and
handling of issue.”
“Inform Department of Health, quarantine and inform
affected staff, leave the treatment room unoccupied for
72 hours, then disinfect.”
“Notify team, without mentioning any names.
Employee must be fever-free for 72 hours and then stay
home for 14 days. Increase sanitation/disinfection
procedures. OSHA recordkeeping requirements mandate
covered employers record certain work-related injuries
and illnesses on their OSHA 300 log.”
“We have a Guest COVID-19 Contact Tracing Form in
addition to our Consent & Release Form. It will be in a link
in the confirmation. Guests will not be admitted without it.”
58 PULSE ■ SEPTEMBER 2020