Close-contact services, including facials, can recommence in England as of Saturday 15 August, following a statement from the UK government.

The announcement follows an intense two weeks of lobbying by the beauty industry, which started an initiative – called Beauty Backed – to put pressure on the government to reopen the sector, after it backtracked on its initial decision to let services recommence on 1 August.

The government’s most recent decision is explained in the document Working safely in the Coronavirus (COVID-19), which also contains new guidelines and requirements for conducting treatments above the neck.

New requirements include:

• Therapists having to wear a visor and Type II face mask for all close-contact treatments
• Customers wearing a face covering at all times - however in Section six of the document it states that client face coverings can be removed if it's essential for a particular treatment, for example a treatment on the face area covered by the mask.

If these guidelines aren’t followed, the government has announced that both enforcement and penalties for failure to comply are being stepped up.

The document also re-enforces that saunas and steamrooms should remain closed in England until further notice.

The UK Spa Association is encouraging all spa businesses to take care when reopening their close-contact services.

“We strongly urge all spas to make sure you risk assess all your own treatments and are fully in compliance with this latest guidance,” commented Adam Chatterley, UKSA chair.