At the time of booking, a ‘Thanks for booking’ email will be sent out with a button to direct you to fill out a one time online Phi COVID-19 Intake Form. If you do not have an account set up yet, you can do so. If you have filled out an Intake Form with us previously, you will be asked to do so again with updated COVID-19 specific screening questions and consents. This Phi COVID-19 Intake Form must be completed and signed online before arrival to your next appointment.
Following this, 24 hours prior to every one of your booked appointments, you will be prompted by our booking system to complete a very brief online COVID-19 Screening Survey. You are required to complete and sign this screening process also and if you are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19 you must advise your therapist and cancel your appointment. Clients will not be charged a late cancellation fee if they cancel due to illness.
The therapist will be using the BC COVID-19 Self-Assessment Tool daily and commits to canceling all appointments if symptoms appear.
Clients with higher risk profiles and/or weakened immune systems should consider alternatives for care and postpone treatment.
Client will arrive no more than 2 minutes before treatment time.
Upon arrival client will wait in their car or outside the door (there is a bench close to the entrance of Phi if needed) until your therapist comes to open the door for you.
Your therapist will greet client at the door and then lock the clinic door once inside to ensure no walk-ins enter between clients.
Therapist will then guide client to wash their hands as per sanitary guidelines (posted by the sink) in the designated washroom or direct you to the hand sanitizing station.
At this time the therapist will reassure clients that they themselves are COVID-19 symptom-free.
The therapist will then ask if they have either brought a mask or need one (you will be given the option of a disposable mask for an additional $2 charge or an eco friendly sanitized cloth mask).
The therapist will then provide the laminated COVID-19 Screening, Consent and Liability Waiver that the client is required to sign in person.
This document is to be reviewed to answer any questions.
As a part of this form, patients must commit to understanding that while we’ve taken all possible measures to minimize risk of viral transmission, the nature of Registered Massage Therapy means that physical distancing is not possible in the treatment room.
The therapist and client must agree that the therapeutic benefit of massage therapy outweighs any potential consequence of treatment, including the possibility of viral transmission.
If the client would like to go ahead with their treatment, they will sign a document with a sanitized marker and this Waiver will be saved to the client’s file.
The treatment will be cancelled if the patient does not meet the pre-screening criteria upon physical presentation at the clinic.
6 feet (2 meters) distance is required wherever possible in common areas of Phi.
Once entered into the treatment room, the Client and Therapist will do their best to maintain distance until the client is on the table.
The client will be provided their own sanitized personal bin. Prior to the arrival of the client, that bin will have been stocked with every one-time use item that will be used for their session. Including:
1x sanitized face piece cover
1x sanitized pillowcase for facepiece
2x sanitized sheets
1 sanitized blanket
1 hand towel for draping purposes
2x cloth for door handle upon exiting session room (for client and therapist)
Once the client arrives at the treatment room, the bin will be empty.
Communication will then occur about what the client has decided to seek Massage Therapy.
The therapist will leave the room to chart clients’ assessment interviews, sanitize touchpoints, wash hands again and give time for the client to set up on the treatment table.
The client will place all personal items in the bin provided.
Upon re-entry to the room to begin the treatment, the therapist will confirm client is comfortable and make any adjustments necessary with previously sanitized equipment and materials (ie. Pillows, bolsters, fan).
The client has the option to ask questions at any time.
The client may ask at any time that the therapist don any further PPE that is available. Including gloves, or a face shield.
The client may ask at any time to use for themselves a pair of sanitized safety glasses.
The client has the option to wear a mask while face down, or solely use the pillowcase placed under the face cradle. The Client must wear a face mask when face up. Client and Therapist are required to sanitize hands to don and doff mask with the hand sanitizer provided.
If either the client or the therapist sneezes or coughs, the therapist will leave the room to sanitize hands to doff previous mask, and sanitize again to apply new mask for the duration of the treatment.
If client needs to use the restroom during treatment, sanitized bathrobes and slippers are available.
Client will sanitize hands again post treatment.
Therapist immediately washes all surfaces of hands and arms that were used to contact client and begins charting the session.
Client may use cloth provided to open the door and exit treatment room.
Payment will be taken or discussed. If onsite payment is required, our sanitized POS systems will be used.
Receipt will be emailed upon payment.
Therapist will escort client out of Phi.
The Client
Must cancel if they are experiencing symptoms of COVID -19.
There will be no penalty for cancelling due to illness at any point including the 24 hour period before the treatment.
If the client does not show up for treatment, and there is no attempt made to give notice, then the full fee of the missed appointment will stand to be paid.
The Therapist
Has the right to cancel any and all appointments made for the following reasons and will make every attempt to give as much notice as possible.
She, or someone in her household are experiencing mild, moderate or severe symptoms of COVID – 19.
She, or someone in her household has been exposed to a confirmed case of COVID – 19.
Client has allegedly caught COVID – 19 from the therapist and both are being investigated by Public Health.
There will be a HEPA air purifier running throughout the duration of the work day in the Reception/Waiting Area as well as in each session room. There will be two running record logs of all cleaning activities.
Safe practice, as always mandates frequent and proper hand washing between every client. That means after a massage, before touching a client, after you cough, sneeze, or touch your face, after using chemicals, after donning and doffing PPE, and after touching any other items and surfaces within the potentially contaminated area within the clinic. As is common practice all linens, blankets and hand towels are laundered after every use.
Cleaning Agents:
Hand Sanitizer – Zytec 70% Alcohol
Method Foaming Soap
Oxyclean Laundry Detergent
Disinfecting Agents are in accordance with the Government of Canada Approved List of Disinfectants with Evidence for Use Against COVID-19.
Spray 9 – Active ingredient – Didecyl Dimethyl Ammonium, Benzalkonium Chloride. Contact time: 30-45sec.
Simple Green D Pro 3 Plus – Active Ingredient – Benzalkonium Chloride, Didecyl Dimethyl Ethylbenzyl Ammonium. Contact time: 5-10 minutes
Treatment Room
All one time use items are either thrown into the garbage or returned to the bin and sealed to be sanitized at the end of the work day.
To be cleaned with Spray 9:
Table, face piece, rolling stool, light switch, door handles, pillows, table levers, sanitizer/oil/lotion bottles
To be cleaned with Simple Green Pro 3 Plus diluted mixture:
Floor, walls, door, windowsill, baseboard mouldings, shelves, personalized bins, chairs
Entrance/Reception/Waiting Areas
To be cleaned with Spray 9:
Door handles, light switches, filing cabinets, keyboard, POS pad, desk and table surfaces
To be cleaned with Simple Green Pro 3 Plus diluted mixture:
Floor, walls, closet doors, baseboard mouldings, chairs
Bathroom
To be cleaned with Spray 9:
Toilet, full sink & counter, soap/towel dispenser, baseboard heater, door handles
To be cleaned with Simple Green Pro 3 Plus diluted mixture:
Mirror, walls, baseboard mouldings, door, garbage can
This plan was developed with the goal of reducing the risk of exposure to the virus that causes COVID-19 for both client and therapist within our clinical setting. Here, we identify the actions that the therapists at Phi Massage & Well-Being Centre commit to, and that all visiting clients must commit to, in order to resume Registered Massage Therapy services.
“Coronavirus is transmitted via liquid droplets when a person coughs or sneezes. The virus can enter through these droplets through the eyes, nose or throat if you are in close contact. The virus is not known to be airborne (e.g. transmitted through the particles floating in the air) and it is not something that comes in through the skin. It can be spread by touch if a person has used their hands to cover their mouth or nose when they cough. That’s why we recommend you cough or sneeze into your arm and wash your hands regularly.”
Source: https://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19/about-covid-19/how-it-spreads
The overall aim of this plan is to reduce potential coronavirus transmission by:
Required ongoing self-assessment for signs of COVID-19 related illness in both the client and the therapist
Reducing all physical, non-treatment related interactions amongst all people within the practice environment
Hand hygiene requirements
Avoiding face touching
Enhanced cleaning protocols
Appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE)
Meeting professional obligations, particularly related to informed consent and liability insurance
Ongoing self assessment for signs of COVID-19 related illness in client and therapist
Therapists and clients at Phi will achieve this by using ongoing online and in person COVID-19 Screening protocols. Please go to New Protocols found at phimassage.com for a more in depth description to the steps taken to ensure reduced risk of transmission.
Clients will be informed about their responsibilities at the time of booking. A notice will be included in the booking email with a link to the Phi Massage & Well-Being Centre website for access to more information. The online booking software will send them a link to Phi COVID-19 Intake Form that they will be required to sign electronically, prior to arriving to their appointment
24 hours prior to their booked appointment, the client will be required to complete the online COVID-19 Screening Form as prompted by our software system and to stay home if they experience any symptoms of COVID-19.
The therapist will use the BC COVID-19 Self-Assessment Tool daily and commits to canceling all appointments if symptoms appear.
Symptoms of COVID-19 may range from mild to severe and are similar to respiratory illnesses and seasonal allergies. An appointment must be canceled immediately if either the client or the therapist presents with even mild symptoms that may be signs of COVID-19 including:
Fever
Cough
Chills
Headache
Fatigue
Muscle aches
Shortness of breath
Sore throat or pain with swallowing
Stuffy or runny nose
Loss of sense of smell
Loss of appetite
As a part of their consent form, clients must commit to understanding that while we have taken all possible measures to minimize risk of viral transmission, the nature of massage therapy means that physical distancing is not possible in the treatment room.
For treatment to commence the therapist and client must agree that the therapeutic benefit of therapy outweighs any potential consequence of treatment, including the possibility of viral transmission.
Clients with higher risk profiles and/or weakened immune systems should consider alternatives for care and postpone treatment.
Clients who develop even mild illness or symptoms should cancel booked appointments, even without notice and will not be charged a late fee if they cancel due to illness.
the therapist will advise clients of their current Self-Assessment results.
clients will be asked to sign a Screening, Consent and Liability waiver.
Masks must be worn at all times at Phi. If the client has a mask, they are asked to bring and wear it when they arrive. If the client does not have a mask, a single-use mask will be provided (for a cost of $2/mask), and they will be asked to wear it upon entering Phi.
The treatment will be cancelled immediately if the client does not meet the pre-screening criteria upon physical presentation at the clinic.
Reducing all physical, non-treatment related interactions amongst all people within the practice environment
Only 1 client per therapist is permitted in Phi at any given time.
Clients must arrive unaccompanied.
The therapist and the client will both maintain a space of 6 feet (2 meters) distance between each other in all common areas outside the treatment room.
There will be two reception areas, and two ‘waiting areas’ with one chair in each. We ask that clients only use chairs if needed and do not linger after their appointment.
The water/tea/candy dish area is off limits. If clients need water they can ask and will be provided with a sanitized disposable cup.
Almost all non-essential items that cannot be disinfected after touch have been removed.
Appointment times are staggered to reduce the potential of clients crossing paths, and to allow for time in between appointments for enhanced cleaning.
Clients are asked to arrive on time and not early or late for appointments.
Clients are required to wait in their vehicles or on the benches outside the clinic, until the therapists come to the clinic door to greet them.
The clinic door will be opened for the client by the therapist and will be locked behind them to prevent anyone else from entering the space during their treatment. The clinic door will be re-opened by the therapist at the end of the appointment for the patient to leave without touching the door handle.
The therapist and the client will both maintain as much space as possible between each other inside the treatment room prior to client being on the massage table. It is not possible to maintain physical distancing while client is receiving treatment.
Clients will be asked to keep all personal belongings within a plastic bin, which will be sanitized between each use.
The restrooms have been designated as Staff and Client
They have been well equipped with soap and paper towel dispensers as well as proper hand washing guidelines. Step garbage bins have been placed close to exit to encourage low touch of handles and surfaces.
The restroom door will be left ajar when not in use to allow for the next user to minimize door handle contacts.
Hand washing Protocol is posted clearly in the bathroom.
Client must sanitize hands upon entry with either soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds followed by thorough drying OR use the hand sanitizer provided in the entrance followed by a thorough drying.
If hands are visibly soiled, client must use soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds, and if necessary – use a wipe that is provided in the bathroom or treatment room.
Therapist must wash hands with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds after any potential incident of contamination before touching something else.
Clients must sanitize hands post treatment and after any incident of possible contamination.
Clients will be asked to use a barrier of a tissue or a provided sanitized hand towel to touch any surfaces including door handles.
Payment can be done by e-transfer, or POS system, no cash.
Receipts will be emailed
All touch points are sanitized between clients.
Avoiding Face Touching
Clients are required to wear a face mask that covers the nose and mouth for the duration of their appointment within the clinic space.
Tissue will be available throughout the clinic to ensure that clients and the therapist may use tissue to address an itch and/or to touch the face or surfaces for any other reason.
Visibly soiled surfaces will be cleaned followed by disinfection with a Canada Health Approved for use against COVID-19 disinfectant as listed here: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-healthproducts/disinfectants/covid-19/list.html
Common areas will be cleaned & disinfected at least twice a day, including the restrooms.
All high touch surfaces will be cleaned & disinfected between clients, regardless of appearances. High touch surfaces include (but are not limited to): light switches, door handles, POS machine, electronic devices, table surfaces, chairs, stools, faucets, etc.
Massage table, levers, face cradle, oil bottles etc. will be cleaned after each treatment.
All linens, including blankets and pillowcases are single use only and will be laundered.
A disinfected single-use plastic bin has been placed in the treatment room. The client will be asked to keep all personal belongings in this bin during treatment. Post treatment, this same bin will be used to carry used linens to the laundry room for washing.
Bins will be disinfected between each patient before cycling back into use.
Appropriate Use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
The therapist will always wear a face mask
Clients are required to wear a face mask in the clinic at all times.
If clients have their own clean face mask, they are requested to bring it. If they do not have a face mask, a single-use non-medial mask will be provided for a cost of $2.
There will be extra PPE and sanitized positioning/comfort materials available upon request (ie. safety glasses, gloves, face masks, blankets, heating pads).
Professional Obligations
Liability Insurance
The therapist carries professional liability insurance through Preventative Health Services.
The therapist is following all the health and safety guidelines outlined by the College of Massage Therapists of British Columbia, as well as the Provincial Health Officer of BC and they are taking all reasonable precautions to clean and disinfect the clinic including all surfaces within the treatment rooms.
No guarantees have been made by the therapist, that the patient may not come in contact with COVID-19 at or during an appointment.
In the Event That the Therapist Tests Positive for COVID-19 or Displays Symptoms of COVID-19
The therapist will self-isolate.
The therapist will call public health at 8-1-1 to report the symptoms and request access to COVID-19 testing.
If testing is granted:
All massage therapy appointments will be cancelled and the therapist will cease to provide services until test results are returned negative.
If testing proves positive the therapist will follow Public Health directives in informing patients treated over the previous 14 days about potential transmission. All massage therapy appointments will be cancelled and the therapist will cease to provide services for a minimum of 10-days beyond the onset of symptoms, and/or until symptoms cease.
If testing is not granted:
All massage therapy appointments will be cancelled and the Therapist will cease to provide services for a minimum of 10-days beyond the onset of symptoms, and/or until symptoms cease.
In the Event That a Client Tests Positive for COVID-19 Having Been to a Massage Therapy Appointment within the 14- days Prior to Onset of Symptoms or Alleges they Caught COVID-19 from the Therapist
The client will immediately contact the therapist and inform of positive test results and possible transmission of the virus
The therapist will immediately call public health at 8-1-1 to report the alleged or possible transmission, providing both the name of the RMT and the name and contact details of the client.
The client must agree to the release of this information under these circumstances in order to receive treatment.
The therapist will immediately self-isolate, will cancel all appointments and cease to provide services until Public Health has investigated and provided direction.
Asymptomatic Spreaders
Asymptomatic transmission of the coronavirus is an unavoidable risk of practice until we’ve acquired herd immunity, or there is an effective treatment or vaccine against COVID-19.
We have put into place protocols to help mitigate that risk as outlined in the preceding documentation.
No guarantees have been made by the therapist, that the client may not come in contact with COVID-19 at or during an appointment.
In the current environment of COVID-19 risk, informed consent requires that the client be informed and understands that:
Any massage therapy treatment involves some risk of COVID-19 transmission;
The therapist is following protocol to help reduce or mitigate risk where possible, but that risk cannot be reduced to zero;
The client consents to the treatment despite some risk;
And the RMT will document the client’s consent in advance and at every treatment