May 3, 2020 — Visits to the dentist, doctor, cosmetician, or cobbler are back on, but with strict measures. Chatting with the hairdresser is not advisable.
Due to the favorable epidemiological situation, Croatia on Monday will enter the second phase of relaxing its restrictive measures to control the coronavirus. But it won’t be a return to normal, according to Jutarnji List.
The health care system for uninfected patients will be functioning. Outpatient clinics will open. Dentists will be able to see non-emergency cases. Even physicians in private practice will be opened. In addition, clients will again be able to receive services that are in direct contact with people, such as cosmeticians, hairdressers, barbers, pedicures, tattoo parlors.
However, this does not mean that the situation will be the same as before the pandemic. All these activities will be limited by epidemiological measures adopted by the National Civil Protection Headquarters, which apply to dentists as much as they do hairdressers.
Take the example of getting a haircut. Hand sanitizers will be ready when entering the shop. It is recommended that a partition be installed in parts of the parlor, and the space in the waiting area should be at least 1.5 meters removed. Everyone in the salon should be kept at the same distance, except for the hairdresser and the client, since this is simply not feasible. It is generally recommended that social distance be applied wherever possible, including employee rest areas and restrooms.
Although hair salons are often a place to chat, the Civil Protection Directorate recommends that contact be kept to a minimum, and that the usual washcloths for clients should be replaced with disposable ones, and that the salon be ventilated as often as possible, even in bad weather.
No one will be able to accommodate people who have respiratory problems or other symptoms of COVID-19, and it is recommended that all employees have their temperature measured upon arrival.
The time of a customer’s entry into a space — salon, office, etc — their contact information (cell phone number) and departure time of the salon will be recorded. This information will be used for contact tracing in the case a customer later tests positive for COVID-19.
Customers should be advised in a timely manner that their service will be provided only if they agree to leave contact information. It is preferable for clients to wear protective masks.
Dentists will have to adhere to even more severe epidemiological measures because of the specific equipment they use that results in aerosols or droplets from the oral cavity. Also, all clients will use disposable gowns, but dentists will have to use protective visors that cover their faces to avoid the possibility of infection.
Each client will be followed by half-hour disinfection of the office.
