Hi members!
We have some clarification from DPH, so here it goes: Other than indoor facemasks/face coverings for non-vaccinated people (‘vaccinated’ means at least 2 weeks post-J&J shot or second Pfizer/Moderna shots), May 19th lifts the COVID-based restrictions. What does this mean specifically for massage therapists in CT?
- Goggles/face shields/added PPE gear requirements are removed; up to the business owner if they want to continue to use this.
- Couples’ massage is open.
- Waiting rooms are re-opened and the business owner may choose how to manage this.
- No further COVID-screenings are needed, but the business owner can choose how to manage this.
- And, if you have been waiting to re-open until there were vaccines and regulations lifted, you no longer need to do a ReOpen Certification, as this has been removed from the CT state website. You may simply reopen as you see fit.
But masks? What about masks, correct? As per DPH: masks are required indoors for unvaccinated and not required for vaccinated. This is up to the business owner to choose how to enforce and you are still welcome to require masks for all clients and staff, if you choose.
In essence, unless Connecticut experiences a severe spike after these restrictions are removed, you can decide for yourself, your employees, colleagues, and clientele, what to maintain or to remove.
Therefore, at this point, I want to express big THANK YOUs to Becca, who helped with the social media and ReOpening guidelines over this past year, to Mindy, who helped get information out, and to the members who have been patient and understanding as we navigated these new and unusual situations. I am now going to return to dealing with the actual role of Government Relations Chair and wish you all the best as the state reopens, with this being my final update on state guidelines. As always, the state website is: https://portal.ct.gov/Coronavirus/Reopen-CT and you can find information there for other questions or concerns.
If you do have further questions, please reach out directly to me at govrelamtact@gmail.com.
Respectfully submitted,
Nikki Arel, GR Chair, AMTA-CT Chapter