UAE - Massage and oriental bath facilities in Abu Dhabi will reopen under strict safety guidelines, including periodic Covid-19 testing for the staff, authorities have announced.

The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) issued a circular on Monday, which allows owners and managers of massage and oriental bath centres in the Emirate to resume their activities after temporary closure to curb the spread of Covid-19.

The circular urges owners to follow the instructions, guidelines, and precautionary measures issued by the Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Committee to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Rashed Abdul Karim Al Balooshi, ADDED's Undersecretary said that the new circular has been issued in line with ADDED's efforts to resume all economic activities in Abu Dhabi while ensuring that regulations and instructions are being followed in coordination with the Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Committee, noting that the set measures are in accordance with the activity type to ensure they contribute to protecting the health and safety of visitors and the Abu Dhabi community.

Al Balooshi further explained that centres' staff are subject to periodic Covid-19 testing to ensure that they are free from infection - regular sterilisation and other hygiene procedures must be carried out frequently during the day after each service, social distancing between visitors among other instructions previously announced for the reopening of other commercial activities are listed in the circular.

"For increased safety, Covid-19 tests should be conducted for all staff along with the regular checking of body temperature during the day. There also has to be a training for them in the implementation of the precautionary measures such as wearing face masks and gloves at all times and replacing them periodically during the day. The workers in the massage rooms are requested to wear a protective face shield apart from the face mask," said the circular.

Guidelines for reopening massage, oriental bath facilities:

-Periodic Covid-19 testing for the staff.
-Providing services without a prior appointment by visitors is prohibited and waiting rooms must be closed.
-Customers not wearing a face mask should not be allowed to enter the facility.
-Thermal cameras can be installed at the centres' main entrances or manual temperature checks.
-There must be posters at the entrances to serve as reminder on preventive measures, personal hygiene, social distancing, and precautions that employees and visitors must apply.
-Customers showing any Covid-19 symptom must not be allowed to enter the facility while taking into account social distancing by putting the appropriate stickers on the floor.
-There should be intensive and regular sterilization of centres during the day.
-Regular hand washing by all staff.
-Strict hygiene checks, disinfecting surfaces and all places of contact such as payment counters.
-Customers should use electronic payment methods.
-Provision of sterilizers at entrances and payment points, and availability of trash containers for medical waste (masks, gloves, etc.) that must be emptied frequently.
-The facility must have a dedicated cleaner for toilets to ensure they are sterilised after each customer use.
-Provision of single use towels, sanitise changing room, and proper ventilation within the facility.
-The facilities must maintain a maximum of 50 per cent humidity level inside the facility while ensuring that the service is not provided to people suffering from skin diseases.
-Implementing the highest cleaning, sterilisation and drying standards before and after providing the service, particularly in bathing areas and bathroom ceilings, which often cause diseases and unpleasant odours.
-It is prohibited to have more than one customer in multiple bathrooms while bath scrubs and soaps must be for single-use only for each customer.
-All other materials used by a customer for the oriental bath must be disposed and must never be used for another customer.

 

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