Pulse September 2020 | Page 22

REOPENING REALITY: Coping with Quarantine An inside look at The Spa at Sea Island’s approach to handling exposure to COVID-19 with grace. BY JAMISON STOIKE EVEN THOUGH YOUR SPA MAY FOLLOW THE MOST STRINGENT and extensive sanitation guidelines possible, there’s still a chance that a case of COVID-19—or a potential exposure to COVID-19—may occur in your spa and among your team. When that happens, it pays to have a plan ready to tackle the challenge. AT THE SPA AT SEA ISLAND, every precaution was taken to avoid potential exposure to COVID-19 upon reopening. “We fully cleanse the room after every service,” says Ella Kent, Director of Rooms at Sea Island Resort. “We spray down the room, then wipe it down after 10 minutes. When we reopened, we limited the amount of people in steam and sauna, and we physically distanced in the space where [guests] wait. We restricted guests from arriving earlier than 30 minutes before their treatment time.” The Spa at Sea Island enacted other protocols common across the industry, such as eliminating snacks and unbottled water, taking the temperatures of guests and employees and making masks mandatory for employees. The spa’s amenities were closed 18 PULSE ■ SEPTEMBER 2020