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The much-anticipated English ‘roadmap’ announcement at 3.30pm on February 22 was a tale of two halves for spa businesses, depending on their location: high street or hospitality.
According to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, subject to a seven-day review of the scientific data by government, spas, beauty salons, hairdressers and nail salons will be able to open from Step 2, which begins on April 12, under the newly formed ‘Personal Care’ categorisation.
However, hotel and resorts have been given Step 3, which begins on May 17, “as the earliest date for reopening,” stated Johnson in his address to the House of Commons. This will also depend on further evaluation of Covid infection rates and hospitalisation figures nearer the time. This later opening does throws up significant number of challenges for spas reopening by the earlier date in these settings. Technically, they can, but according to the UK Spa Association, this will be at the discretion of the hotel’s management.
