UPDATE April 29:

Governor Cooper recently announce the plan for re-opening North Carolina, Possibly beginning as early as May 8th. From what we understand, Masasge therapy practices may be included in Phase 2,  which currently means the end of May.

I have been busy learning everything possible (or refreshing my memory) about infection control, sanitation, and safety.  Many additional supplies have been ordered. I have been following what other states are requiring therapists to do, and reading all the information published by our national organizations on safety and precautions.  I have been participating oin discussions with other therapists, and participating in online classes about safety and sanitation. If all goes well,  and the items I ordered to keep clients and staff safe have all arrived, we will be fully prepared when the governor lifts the mandate.  Do know, I will not re-open our doors until all these things have occurred, as the safety and well-being of clients and staff is, and always will be, my number one priority.  Hopefully we will see you sooner than later!

UPDATE  March 23:

Given the increase of COVID-19 cases of in the state, massage therapy practices were mandated by the governor to close temporarily through at least the end of April.  We will re-open when the governor lifts this mandate AND it is is deemed safe for us to do so.  We will base our decision on what is in the best interests of the community at large, not due to the pressure of those who seek to improve the economy through foolish measures.

 

March 15:

While we are not a venue where large amounts of people gather at one time, or a large spa that sees many people coming through our door on a daily basis, I feel the need to participate in the community’s efforts to slow the spread of the virus.

Because there are asymptomatic people walking around who may be contagious, we just don’t know who is a carrier. As massage therapists, we spend 60 to 90 minutes in an enclosed room involved in personal contact, and given their requests for us all to be social distancing, I feel massage has the possiblity to put too many people at risk. Even though we have been diligently cleaning between clients, we cannot guarantee that we would not unknowingly spread the virus. I cannot take the chance that someone related to my business gets sick. I would not be able to live with myself.

Because our clientele consists mainly of pregnant women (who are more at risk for cold and flu) and women over 50 with underlying health issues, I am forced to make this tough decision. I care about the health and well-being of our clients, my team members, and the community at large.

At the end of March, I will reevaluate when we will begin seeing clients again. Hopefully, we will only have to close for a few weeks. An interruption in service is not good for any of us, as I know many of you rely on us to help you stay healthy. In the interim, I encourage you to do your best to practice self-care during this time.

If you are not already, please follow Metamorphic Massage for Women on Facebook! I will be posting daily self-care tips, activities to do with children, and more.

In the meantime…if you are someone who appreciates the work that we do, or are a regular client, consider purchasing one or two gift certificates that you can use for yourself in the future, or give to others to use when things calm down. There are also packages of six sessions, Which ultimately gives you 10% off each session. If you are someone who can financially afford to purchase some sessions in advance, I would greatly appreciate the support. You’d help keep the business afloat if we have to stay closed for longer than two weeks, and it would guarantee you a spot on our tables when we are seeing clients again!

Please take care of yourself. May you and your loved ones stay safe, and I hope to see you when this virus is managed!

 

March 12, 2020 3:00 p.m.

As the number of coronavirus cases grow in our area,  there is a growing concern as far as the spread of the virus, which is completely understandable. I for one am very happy that people are washing hands more often.  Hand-washing is something I have always been a bit obsessive about, and observe people in public regularly, which has kept me from touching much in public for many years now.

At Metamorphic Massage for Women, your health and well-being is our priority. We are  monitoring information from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and local officials regarding the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus). The safety of our clients and staff is our top priority, and we will update this page accordingly.

Please consider our clientele, which consists mainly of either women over 50 and pregnant women, and our therapists, one of whom cares for elderly parents. If you have been in contact with someone who has contracted the virus, have traveled in the last month,  or are showing ANY signs of fever, congestion (even if you think it is allergies), cough, fatigue, or any other signs of illness, please call as soon as possible to cancel.

If you arrive in our office and we see signs of illness, we hold the right to turn you away or end your session, and you WILL be  charged the full fee. We ask all clients to notify us in if they feel they are at risk for COVID-19, and to take preventative measures for the safety of themselves and others.  If you call ahead and cancel, the fee will be waived.

If you have come to see us in the past month and discover you have been exposed to COVID-19, please call us IMMEDIATELY!!!  We will need to close our doors to ensure the safety of our team an clientele.

That being said:

Our massage therapy practice has always had protocols in place to maintain high standards of hygiene, which have increased while COVID-19 is a factor in our community. Our normal sanitation includes:
*Frequent cleaning of surfaces including doorways, desktops, and bathrooms
*Always washing hands before and after working with clients.
*Clean, sanitized sheets for each client.
*Practices that maintain hygienic use of massage lotion.
*Hand wipes available for clients in treatment rooms.

We have made a few other changes to increase the safety of our clients.
*Previously, because work is not performed on clients through the blanket, they would get washed several times a week, a common practice in massage. Because this virus can live for several days on surfaces, we are now using a clean blanket for each client.
*All surfaces that are touched by therapists or clients, including outer doorknobs,  are getting cleaned between each client.
*We are offering water in paper cups instead of glasses (this is hurting the environmentalist in me, but right now, it is more important to keep everyone  healthy, and we cannot guarantee sterility of glasses without a dishwasher.)
*To make sanitation of our iPad easier, we ask that you please use the stylus we provide when you make a credit card payment, as it are much easier to clean than an iPad screen.

We are also have new table barriers between the sheets and table padding that get sanitized between every client. They might be a little crinklier than you’re used to, but I’m sure you’ll appreciate that extra step.

We ask that all clients wash their hands immediately when  they walk in the door.  We also have hand sanitizer available at the front desk and in treatment rooms.

If you are unsure of your health, we urge you to cancel. Our therapists will continue to work only if they are healthy. Please, do not take advantage of this for other reasons…last minute notice of a cancellation is hard for massage therapists. Please let us know as soon as you start feeling unwell. We also encourage you to send a healthy friend that can take your place.

How can you support us during this time?   If you healthy, and haven’t been exposed to the virus, and are an avid hand washer, we encourage you to keep you massage appointments!  It will not only help us stay open, it can also help you!   Did you know massage supports a healthy immune response?

My hope is that you and your loved ones stay healthy!

Linda Zukowski, NC-LMBT #5951
Owner, Metamorphic Massage for Women