Delhi Unlock: Spa Centres Welcome Kejriwal Govt’s Decision to Open Their Business, Say Will Follow Guidelines

Delhi Unlock News: Soon after the Arvind Kejriwal government relaxed guidelines and allowed the spa centres to open in the national capital, the Delhi Wellness Spa Association on Saturday breathed a sigh of relief and said the spa owners welcome the decision of the Delhi government.

Earlier in the day, the Delhi government allowed the spa centres 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. Notably, the spas are among the last to reopen along with cinema halls, multiplexes and theatres.

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.

In its guidelines, 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.

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”.