India: The Delhi High Court granted relief for Spas owners allowing them to resume their services, operate them with appropriate safeguards, and to maintain the norms of Covid-19, similar to the services followed by the saloons. The Court also directed the Spa owners to conduct Covid-19 tests of their staff every two weeks.
Two applications were filed in the Delhi High Court by spa owners looking for the court’s ruling to resume services. The plea stated that the spa center was closed during the nationwide coronavirus-induced lockdown and while the central government in its guidelines allowed the spa center to operate, the Delhi government had not given the requisite permission. Justice Pratibha M Singh allowed two petitions filed by the Association of Wellness Ayurveda and Spa through advocate HD Thanvi.
The plea contended that the Delhi government had allowed saloons, restaurants, and every other business to resume but spa centers were still not allowed to operate. The spa owners claimed that they are already at a huge loss financially due to the ongoing pandemic and that is the reason for which they had to appeal for the resume of Spa services in the national capital.
The Centre told the court that it has examined the issue and the Ministry of Home Affairs does not have any objection to the opening of spas if they follow the guidelines and the employees and clients of spas maintain requisite physical distancing of six feet in the premises, avoid overcrowding, use masks, maintain hand hygiene, and sanitize the equipment regularly.