Below are important changes to massage therapy protocol, as now required by NYS. Please be understanding with what is required for me to keep my practice open for you.
- CANCELLING/RESCHEDULING: As always, if you have any symptoms of respiratory or gastro-intestinal illness, COVID-19 or otherwise, please reschedule your massage. Additionally, if you have been exposed to any other contagious pathogen, including things such as poison ivy or the like, please reschedule your massage. Please see the CDC symptom list at the bottom of this page. All cancellation fees will be waived at this time, although I still appreciate 24 hours notice for any cancellation.
- ARRIVAL: Please arrive 15 minutes before your schedule appointment time. When you arrive, please stay in your car, and text/call your therapist to let her know you have arrived. (315) 447-0730. You will need to don a mask to enter Massage Therapy West.
- MASKS/SCREENING/CHECK-IN: Please meet your therapist at the downstairs door where your temperature will be taken using a touchless forehead thermometer, and you will be asked to practice hand hygiene using the provided hand sanitizer. If you present with a temperature above 100.4, you will be asked to reschedule your massage. You will be asked to fill out and sign a short questionnaire/waiver specific to COVID-19 exposure. This information will be kept private except as requested by NY State Department of Health officials for contact tracing purposes.
- INTAKE & MASSAGE: Masks must be worn during your massage while face up, but you are permitted to remove your mask while face down. Please allow your therapist to retrieve your post massage water and mints for you.
- PAYMENT & BOOKING: Massage Therapy West remains happy to receive cash and check payments, and will still use the Square chip/contactless reader for your credit card/contactless payments. Credit card payments will now be signed with a stylus, which will be disinfected between uses. You may also pre-pay for your massage online at MassageTherapyWest.com. You may book your next appointment with your therapist at check-out time or via call/text/email, per your convenience. You must continue to wear your mask until you leave the downstairs door of Massage Therapy West.
- CHAT TIME: You and your therapist will have limited "chat time." I do so enjoy the time I spend with my clients just sitting and chatting, however, due to the increased disinfection protocols now required by NY state, I must ask that we suspend that practice for the time being, keeping our interactions to the business at hand. I ask you to keep me accountable to that, as I know I am very guilty of extending our "chat time."
- OFFICE CHANGES: Currently, face massage is prohibited by the State of NY. The Massage Therapy West Lending Library, paraffin wax and salt scrub options have been suspended for now, pending new updates on the safety of these practices. Hot/cold stones and cupping will still be available. Until further notice, Shiatsu massage will be performed on the table, still fully clothed. The Massage Therapy West Retail Store is on demand only, and no merchandise will be on display. If you would like to purchase an item, your therapist will retrieve your selection for you.
- NYS BUSINESS SAFETY PLAN/CLEANING LOGS: Massage Therapy West will be in compliance with the new NYS Business Safety Plan and will be maintaining a cleaning log and therapist health screening log for every day worked. These are readily available for your viewing.
(The following has been copied directly from the CDC website.)
People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness.
Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
This list does not include all possible symptoms. CDC will continue to update this list as we learn more about COVID-19.