As the Government of Rwanda continues to revive business activities to recover from the impact of Covid-19 pandemic, Rwanda Development Board (RDB) on Thursday, November 5 announced that massage therapies have been allowed to open. This is according to a statement from Rwanda Development Board (RDB). It was prohibited to provide the service since mid-March when many activities, apart from essential ones, were halted in bid to contain Covid-19 in the country. In an interview with The New Times, a source from RDB clarified that sauna and steam services are still restricted until further notice. Meanwhile, while giving a green light to massage therapy services, RDB issued some guidelines that are in line with Covid-19 preventive measures, to be followed by operators of these services in both hospitality establishments and standalone massage facilities. They include ensuring that hand-washing facilities are availed at these locations, and the wearing of facemasks at all times by both therapists and clients. RDB also noted that massage therapy facilities must observe thorough cleaning, disinfecting and sanitizing protocols in massage rooms, as well as any communal areas, not forgetting any objects that come into contact with clients. These operators should also ensure a 15-minutes spacing time between appointments to allow for adequate time to clean and minimize physical contact between people in reception areas. Additionally, according to RDB, the operators should put in place clear signage within different parts of their premises to emphasize social distancing, hand washing, and other preventive measures that clients should adhere to. The Development Board also emphasized that the use of electronic payments such as mobile money, bank transfers or other electronic means should be encouraged. Massage therapy operators were also encouraged to consider booking practices in order to allow for sanitizing procedures and avoid overcrowding which is contrary to the social distancing directive.
