The Chief Medical Officer of Health for Newfoundland and Labrador issued a directive in June 2020 that allowed Registered Massage Therapists to return to work during the COVID-19 pandemic under specific guidelines.

What is expected of you, the patient:
• Stay home if you are feeling unwell, are currently positive for COVID, or have been in close contact with someone who is currently positive for COVID. If you have any symptoms of COVID-19, please self-isolate and complete the Government of Newfoundland self-assessment tool https://www.811healthline.ca/covid-19-selfassessment/ or contact 811 Health Line.
• If you have returned from travel outside the province in the past 14 days, you need to self-isolate for 14 days. This does not apply to NL residents who are rotational workers and have opted for the seven days of self-isolation plus a negative Covid-19 test.
• Arrive wearing a clean mask (reusable or disposable). If you do not have a mask, one will be provided for you at the clinic. You will need to wear the mask throughout your entire appointment. Remember to always perform hand hygiene before you put on a mask and immediately after you remove it.
• Arrive alone and 5 minutes prior to your appointment. If you are early, please wait outside or in your vehicle.
• Perform hand hygiene when you enter and leave the clinic using the hand sanitizer.

Here are some of the things we are doing in addition to our routine practices for health and safety:
• Screening patients for COVID-19 when they request an appointment and again immediately before the appointment.
• Providing treatment only if the therapist and patient have screened negative for COVID19.
• Wearing a mask and a clean gown for each appointment.
• New as of Feb 13 2021: wearing a face shield for each appointment.
• Leaving additional time between appointments for cleaning and disinfecting the treatment room including the table, stool, client chair, floor, gel bottle, and commonly touched surfaces such as door knobs and light switches after each client.
• Cleaning and disinfecting commonly touched surfaces in the common areas such as doors, chairs, light switches and the bathroom multiple times a day.
• Keeping a name and phone number of everyone who enters the clinic for contact tracing purposes.
• Removing items that are frequently shared, difficult to clean or that are not necessary to achieve treatment outcomes such as magazines, water service, reusable hand towels, heating pads, holsters to hold topical products, and upholstered furniture.
• Regularly looking for updates from the Ministry of Health and the College of Massage Therapists of Newfoundland and Labrador and updating procedures as needed as the pandemic continues to evolve.

Amended February 13th, 2021
As we are all aware, yesterday the province moved to Alert Level 5 due to the discovery of the new Covid-19 variant. This news of course is disheartening and upsetting to us all. Alert Level 5 states: “Private health care clinics are closed, except those of physicians and nurse practitioners. Closed clinics can offer urgent and emergent care, and virtual
options can be offered for non-urgent care.” Therefore, all Registered Massage Therapists in Newfoundland and Labrador are to suspend all services until Department of Health has lifted the restrictions. Urgent and emergent care can be offered for those clients who meet the following:
• Urgent – provision of services to clients that would experience a significant exacerbation of symptoms or experience significant deterioration of their condition in the absence of care.
• Emergency – services necessary to prevent death or serious impairment of the health of the client.