The current status of the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated facts related to its transmission and dangers therein continue to be identified. Two factors that have been generally accepted by the medical community as primary contributing factors to transmission are proximity and duration of exposure. By nature, massage therapy requires both of those conditions to perform treatment and therefore poses significant risk to our clients as well as to our staff. Current advisories from various health and government agencies dictate that personal protective equipment be used while performing treatments and significant additional sanitization procedures must be applied. Procurement of the supplies will prove a challenge as all personal services businesses will be competing with health care for some of the same resources. Sanitization will present its own challenges given that we share space with other businesses within our suite and common restrooms with ourselves and other businesses within the building.
After weighing the risks and the dynamic nature of the pandemic, we are extending our closure until September. This will give us the required time to set up new best practices including new procedures, policies, redesigning our studio space, as well as procuring and training in the use of proper and most effective PPE. We apologize for any inconvenience this extended closure may cause. We ask for your trust in us and the understanding that we have conducted and taken into account extensive research from both health experts as well as leaders in the massage therapy field that has guided us in making the best decision we can to protect everyone involved in our practice to the very best of our ability. We truly feel that this is our best option to allow us to plan, test and implement the necessary procedures to keep you, our therapists and the community safe.
We very much look forward to serving you again in the fall. We will keep you informed as the summer goes on regarding an exact date for our September reopening as well as updates on our progress in preparing for your safe return to our practice. Until then, we wish you and your families all the best, and hope you are staying safe and well.
To stay up to date on the official news and announcements related to COVID-19 we encourage you to visit these pages:
State Reopening Plans: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/reopening-massachusetts
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
Commonwealth of Massachusetts: https://www.mass.gov/resource/information-on-the-outbreak-of-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19
City of Melrose: https://www.cityofmelrose.org/mayor/pages/covid-19-information
Our studio, like many small businesses, will be highly impacted by the unfolding situation. If you would like to help support the studio during our period of closure, please consider purchasing a gift card. 50% of all receipts during this time will go directly to our employees to help ensure that they and the studio both receive the benefits of your generosity and compassion during our closure.