RE: Information regarding your state’s back-to-practice permission date and safety guidelines to minimize risk of exposure to, and spread of, COVID-19 in the workplace.
Phase 2 Counties Permission to Practice June 1, 2020
Estheticians, Hair Professionals, Nail Professionals
Many counties entered Phase 2 in Governor Jay Inslee’s Safe Start Washington (https://www.governor.wa.gov/sites/default/files/SafeStartWA_4May20_1pm.pdf) plan—a county-by-county approach to reopening the state. In Phase 2, personal service providers, including cosmetologists, hairstylists, barbers, estheticians, master estheticians, manicurists, nail salon workers, and cosmetology and esthetics schools may resume business operations June 1, 2020. Click here (https://coronavirus.wa.gov/what-you-need-know/covid-19-county-variance-a...) to find out if your county has entered Phase 2. Businesses and schools located in counties still in Phase 1 must remain closed to the public at this time.
In addition, the state developed COVID-19 health and safety requirements for personal services (https://www.governor.wa.gov/sites/default/files/COVID19Phase2PersonalSer...). Familiarize yourself with this document and adapt business procedures and professional services as needed for a safe reopening.
Massage Therapists
Proclamation 20-24.1 (https://www.governor.wa.gov/sites/default/files/20-24.1%20-%20COVID-19%2...) allows non-urgent health-care services to resume, so long as infection control and other requirements outlined in the proclamation are met. The Washington State Department of Health clarified in a bulletin (https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/WADOH/bulletins/28e7ef5) on June 1, 2020, that:
“under Proclamation 20-24.1, a licensed massage therapist is providing a
‘health care service’ and this service can be provided at any location statewide,
including in counties still in Phase 1 under the Governor’s Safe Start Washington
plan, as long as the requirements in the proclamation and in the laws governing
massage therapy are met.”
The requirements in Proclamation 20-24.1 can be found starting at page 4 of the document. They further state that so long as massage therapists can follow the protocols in 20-24.1, massage services in a spa setting may reopen even if the rest of the spa remains closed in Phase 1 counties. In their bulletin regarding this proclamation, the Department of Health stated they, “will not be providing guidance in implementing the Governor’s proclamation for the massage profession.” Massage therapists can refer to ABMP’s back-to-practice guidelines below.
NOTE: With some states giving authority to local governments regarding work authorization, your liability insurance is only valid if you comply with whichever regulations are the most restrictive—state or local. If you are not authorized to work per state or regional orders, and you are working, you are not in compliance with your state or local regulations and therefore your insurance would not be valid.
Additional Safety Resources
ABMP, ASCP, AHP, and ANP understand there is a fine line between getting back to work and earning an income and protecting the safety of you and your clients. As you consider returning to work, we urge you to make government permission to work only one element of your decision about whether and when to reopen. Please review our comprehensive series of back-to-practice guidelines to help reduce risk and keep you and your clients safe.
Massage practitioners: ABMP Back-to-Practice Guidelines (https://www.abmp.com/back-to-practice/summary)
Estheticians: ASCP Back-to-Practice Guidelines (www.ascpskincare.com/back-to-practice/summary)
Cosmetologists: AHP Back-to-Practice Guidelines (www.associatedhairprofessionals.com/back-to-practice/summary)
Nail professionals: ANP Back-to-Practice Guidelines (https://www.nailprofessional.com/back-to-practice/summary)
We also have helpful forms and printouts available on our website, (https://www.abmp.com/back-to-practice/forms-printouts) including office policies, screening questionnaires, and posters to remind clients about social distancing and handwashing.
We appreciate your membership and will continue working on your behalf to update you as we learn more. Be safe and be well. Please check our COVID-19 page (https://www.abmp.com/updates/news/information-abmp-members-state-shutdow...) for updates.