Covid 19 - Health Guidelines and Policy

Mar 28, 2020

Everybody is concerned with the fast spread of COVID-19 around the globe and its negative impact on many businesses including businesses such as ours. It is therefore important for us to adapt by keeping ourselves & our clients updated with relevant news and information from reliable sources and implement the necessary precautions to effectively deal with the crises and protect our business, staff, and clients all at the same time. Taking swift action is key to the continuity of our business during and after this problematic pandemic. 

 Only listen to reliable sources for information

There is a ton of fake news and misinformation going around about COVID-19, so make sure not to believe in everything that we see, especially if these are posts from social media. Make sure to get our information from the World Health Organization (WHO) as they are the primary source of information regarding the disease. We may also refer to government organisations for local new information that affects our country & community. Check www.Covid19.govt.nz

Messaging to clients

If our clients with future appointments are diagnosed with COVID-19 or any other diseases for that matter, we may ask them to rebook. We can get in touch with them in a few effective ways:

Post a sign on the front door of our clinic about our appointment for rebooking policies, as well as expectations surrounding the illness. If our clinic is still open, it is a must to supply hand sanitiser at the entry and ask visitors to use them before entering the clinic premises. 

• Update confirmed appointments and remind via SMS with a short note on rescheduling their appointments if they feel ill or unwell. 
• It is imperative for we to send out an SMS-based campaign to all clients who have booked an appointment in the next 30 days. It is best to ask them to reschedule if they have fallen ill. Make sure to keep it concise by linking our clients to our website or social media sites for more information on how they can reschedule their clinic-related service.
• Utilise the power of social media and email to let our clients know of the rebooking rules and procedures. 
• Incorporate health questions to our online booking.

An ideal way to remind people of our appointment policies is to ask them questions whenever they make an online booking or over the phone. Their responses will automatically be saved on their appointment notes. Here are a few questions that we may ask our clients:

 Are you or a person in your household bubble currently in self-isolation status

• Are you suffering from any cold or flu symptoms?
• Have you or a contact recently travelled to any of the countries with high concentration of COVID-19 cases in the last 28 days? For example, Japan, Italy, Spain, UK, USA, China, and France?

Provide useful information to our online booking form

One effective way of proliferating useful information is by integrating them into our online booking form. We can provide information about our rebooking policies, so we can protect ourself, the staff, and clients. 

Update staff travel policies

If any of our staff need to travel, please provide details of your trip- to which countries you are going to. If you travel to a country badly hit by the COVID-19, you may need to self-quarantine for 14 days upon your arrival at home. 

How to practice enhanced hygiene measures in our business?

There are a number of ways that we can slow down the spread of disease-causing germs in the clinic. This is very important to enforce during and after the COVID-19 crisis. 

Provide hand sanitiser at the clinic entrance and ask clients and visitors to use them generously upon arrival.

1. We need to enforce strict handwashing in the clinic. Staff members should wash their hands with alcohol-based hand soap to eliminate all viruses, especially in between clients to lessen risk of cross infection. 
2. Always keep at least 2 metre distance between us and anyone coughing or sneezing. It’s also advised to supply our staff members with personal protective equipment that they can wear when providing treatments to clients.
3. Always avoid touching our face; our nose, eyes, and mouth as these are vital entryways for the virus. 
4. Enforce good respiratory hygiene at all times. We need to cover our mouth and nose using a bent elbow or a tissue whenever we feel like coughing or sneezing. Throw away soiled tissue paper immediately to prevent cross infection. 
5. If we or our staff experience fever, breathing difficulties, and coughing, make sure to stay at home and call for expert advice on the next things that we need to do for appropriate diagnosis and treatment protocol. 
6. Make sure to keep ourself informed about the latest developments about COVID-19 in our city or town. 

 Additional hygiene and sanitation requirements for clinics

The World Health Organization enumerated some guidelines for clinics to follow not only for COVID-19 prevention but as a strategy to reduce the spread of diseases at the workplace: Check www.covid19.govt.nz

Disinfection

Proper cleaning and disinfection are mandatory at all times. From the cleaning of our tools and implements, to workstations (including countertops, treatment rooms, and reception areas). They are to be cleaned disinfected with the right cleaning products. 

Stay Home

It’s best to keep the immune system strong during times of crisis and beyond. Take Vitamin C, adequate sleep and drink water to keep hydrated. Sickness cancellation policy will be enforced if a client is diagnosed with COVID-19. Clients will not be penalised for cancelling appointments due to an illness.

Well-Stocked Clinic

Our clinic will have regular supplies of tissue, antibacterial soap, and alcohol-based hand cleansers to promote healthy habits. 

Hands-Off or Social Distancing

During the cold and flu seasons, shaking hands or giving hugs to clients and staff should be avoided. Following social distancing protocols will keep everyone healthy. Make it a habit to not touch our face especially in public to reduce the risk for transmission.

These measures will ensure that we, our staff, and clients have reduced risk of catching COVID-19 in our place of business. Please call us at Beauty Secrets Day Spa if you have any questions on 06 8355340