Spa association welcomes Delhi govt's decision allowing them to reopen establishments

The Delhi Wellness Spa Association on Saturday breathed a sigh of relief after the city government allowed them to reopen their businesses from July 26.

The DDMA order came days after the Delhi High Court asked the city government to take a final decision within two or three days on the issue of re-opening spas in the national capital.

The high court had said spas can be allowed to start subject to conditions such as permitting only vaccinated employees and client and curtailing the number of persons at a time. The spas are among the last to reopen along with cinema halls, multiplexes and theatres.

The latest unlock guidelines by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) said spas are allowed to open from July 26 but all their employees have to be fully vaccinated or undergo RT-PCR test fortnightly.

President of Delhi Wellness Spa Association and one of the petitioners Pooja Chatterjee Jha said the spa owners welcome the government's order, which has ''come late but at least has come''.

''We take relief in the fact that we are allowed to reopen, moreover there's a written order unlike last time that spells out everything,'' Jha told PTI.

She claimed that the spa industry was neglected the longest as other such businesses as salons and beauty parlours have already been allowed to reopen earlier. ''We request the Delhi government that the next time there's a lockdown, we are allowed to reopen along with salons. We request to be treated equally,'' she said.

Talking about the need to vaccinate the employees and getting RT-PCR tests done, Jha said it will take some time but it was manageable.

''We understand the requirement to take these steps and we can assure all these conditions will be met. For now, we will only open with our vaccinated staff while asking others to get it done soon as possible,'' she said.

The DDMA order also makes it mandatory for the service providers to wear face masks and shields, and in case of a treatment that lasts longer than 30 minutes, ''a PPE kit should also be worn in addition''.

All the visitors and clients will also be required to sign a declaration form stating that they have not contacted COVID-19 and ''if they have, they have tested negative''. ''The establishments are permitted to take a written consent form accepting the risks that may be involved for clients/visitors,'' the order said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)