Proceeding with caution

While I am keeping my fingers crossed that I won’t have to shut down again, that does seem increasingly likely based on Pierce County’s recent COVID stats. If you try to book an appointment online and find nothing available, there may be a temporary freeze on scheduling new appointments. I’m taking things day by day, monitoring our county’s virus statistics, and limiting my bookings accordingly. For anyone curious about the regulations guiding me in deciding whether I am open/closed/taking new appointments, here is a brief explanation.

Massage, even in a spa-type setting, is currently bound by the COVID regulations for healthcare professions providing non-urgent care. These health care services have their own set of phases, separate from the state’s Phases 1-4 for reopening. The healthcare phases are “Conventional Care,” “Contingency Care,” and “Crisis Care.” As long as our hospitals are not overwhelmed and I meet certain safety requirements, I can continue to offer massage contingent upon basic medical necessity. However, as Pierce County’s case numbers rise and hospital beds fill up to more than 80% occupied, services may only be provided when there is urgent medical necessity. That eliminates the vast majority of massage services. It’s a matter of weighing the benefits of massage (or any non-urgent healthcare service) against the risk of further burdening our hospitals.