HCMC proposes 10 Covid safety criteria for spa, massage parlors

The establishments must satisfy 10 safety criteria to be allowed to open in the "new normal" period.

Requirements include mandatory medical declaration for both customers and employees. Employees must either have received at least one Covid-19 vaccine shot or recovered from the disease, change masks and wash hands frequently.

Customers must either have been vaccinated with at least one vaccine shot, have a Covid-19 recovery certificate or have tested negative for the coronavirus within 72 hours of entering an establishment. They must also maintain a distance of one meter from each other.

Both customers and employees must have their body temperatures checked before entering a spa or massage parlor. The establishments must have sufficient soap and hand sanitizers, and ensure regular disinfection of furniture and equipment.

Spas and massage parlors may operate at full capacity in areas with low coronavirus risks, and with reduced capacity in areas with higher risks.

The city had allowed spas, massage parlors, bars and dance clubs to reopen on November 11, but shut them down two days later after the Covid-19 situation worsened.

All these establishments and other non-essential services in the city have been suspended for over six months.