Despite the vaccines for COVID-19 having been rolled out, some countries are facing a surge in new cases again. In the Philippines, there were 7,738 new cases as of March 21, 2021, and the 7-day average for new cases reached 6,042. Those numbers were considerably greater than the records last year.
This is a contributed post and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Meet The Harris Family.
For that reason, nonessential business establishments are at risk of closure once more. In fact, banks have already started cutting down their service hours starting March 22. The health protocols in the country will tighten further; the Philippines is currently under General Community Quarantine (GCQ), which allows travel but not mass gatherings and close contact, like rave parties and religious events.
However, the surge in cases has tightened the GCQ restrictions. Indoor eating in restaurants has been prohibited again, as well as going out from 10 PM to 5 AM. Cinemas, arcades, museums, driving schools, libraries, and cultural sites will also be closed.
If you’re running a salon, spa, or aesthetic clinic, it’s understandable to feel anxious for another lockdown. Once the government decides to halt your operations again, you’d have no choice but to comply. But while you’re still allowed to operate, increase the safety measures in your premises even further by observing the following:
1. Be More Stringent in Your Mask-wearing Policy
Dr. Alexandra Benson, a critical care physician at Centura Health in Colorado, recommends salons with mask policies. Though it’s tempting to entertain customers who don’t wear masks for the sake of business, their patronage isn’t worth the health risks. Remember that you also need to ensure the safety of your employees. Even if they wear personal protective equipment (PPE) all day, a mask-less customer can still make them vulnerable to the virus. Plus, they pose a threat to your other customers.
If you manage a hair salon, consider requiring your customers to have their hairs already washed before they arrive. This minimizes contact and the risk of having your hair tools contaminated.
2. Shorten Appointment Times
If a customer books two services, such as a facial and a massage, for example, encourage them to get only one of those services instead of both. Both require close contact, increasing the risks of passing on the virus. Your employees may be perfectly healthy, but there’s no way to be sure that your customer is the same. They may test negative on the day of their appointment, but if they interacted with an infected person beforehand, they’re already carrying the virus.
So, aside from requiring your employees to wear gloves and PPE, make your customers’ appointments as short as possible. This will give your potentially exposed employee a chance to disinfect properly and kill the virus on their PPE.
3. Automate What You Can
Since the nature of your business involves close contact no matter the circumstances, automate as many of your business practices as you can to limit your employees’ contact with one another. For example, if they use a time card to clock in and out, ask them to do that from their phones instead. There are surely apps you can download for free to support that procedure. They can also use apps that record your customers’ services and payments. This prevents your employees from using the same computer.
4. Make Your Front Desk Support Social Distancing
You’re surely doing this for a while now, but it won’t hurt to increase your efforts. Put up customized acrylic shields on your front desk counter, and don’t allow customers in line to sit close to each other. If you’ve started to accept walk-in customers, prohibit them again, and only entertain the ones who have booked appointments. The fewer customers you entertain daily, the safer your premises becomes. It may strain your revenue, but customers appreciate compliant businesses more. If they notice your strict health protocols, they are more likely to return for another appointment.
5. Disinfect and Sanitize More than Necessary
If you only provided hand sanitizers or alcohols for your customers before, double your efforts now by also disinfecting your entire premises. As soon as a customer walks in, they should be greeted by air purifiers, temperature checks, and disinfecting tools. Some even spray disinfectants all over their customer’s clothes, so consider that too. A prominent aesthetic clinic in New York City even provides a UV sterilizer for their customers’ phones. That would be a necessary tool for your business too, considering all the close contact your employees will have with your customers.
Our battle with the pandemic is far from over. If anything, it can feel like we’re starting all over again. Don’t use the vaccines as a reason to drop your guard. Strengthen your health and safety precautions even more, and your efforts will pay off once the world finally beats COVID-19.
