When are we going to start scheduling treatments again?
We were excited to hear the news Wednesday that the Ontario government has given the go-ahead to health care providers to begin providing non-essential services immediately. This would include massage therapy services.
We thank you for your patience over the last two months. We have missed you and look forward to seeing you soon. However, we must take careful and measured steps. There are still several obstacles to be overcome:
1. The go-ahead provided today was generic to all health care providers. We did not receive advance notice so we are waiting for a full response from our regulatory college (CMTO) on how to proceed.
2. As you will have undoubtedly heard, the demand is overwhelming for PPE such as, masks, face shields and sanitizers. These items are in short supply worldwide. The safety of our patients and our massage therapists is paramount and we must have these necessary safety precautions and measures in place before we can reopen.
3. We have been advised by the CMTO to update our guidelines on Infection Prevention and Control. The required readings are hundreds of pages and these updates require many changes in our clinic, which will take some time.
4. The directive from the Ministry of Health calls for a gradual reopening with a limit in the number of visits for the safety of our clients and RMTs.
As we work towards reopening, rest assured, once the necessary safety protocols are in place we will be contacting you to start scheduling appointments.