Tewksbury Coronavirus: Town Bans Personal Care Services

TEWKSBURY, MA — Tewksbury has banned "personal care services" that require people to be closer together than six feet, including hair and nail care, massage services, body art and fitness. The order follows a declaration earlier Friday of a local state of emergency in response to the new coronavirus. Personal care services are discontinued starting Tuesday, March 24, until further notice, the town said.

Health care providers including medical and dental practices, physical, speech and occupational therapy, chiropractors, acupuncture, mental health providers, substance abuse counselors are not included in the order. Retail stores can also remain open.

The following six business types are listed, but the order is not limited to them:

• Hairdressers and barbers
• Nail salons
• Massage services
• Body art
• Body work
• Fitness centers

The order was issued Friday by the chairmen of the Board of Selectmen and Board of Health.

The town also announced Friday that town offices will remain closed to the public next week.

Public health officials recommend "social distancing" to slow the spread of the new virus. That means avoiding physical contact and remaining six feet apart at all times.

>>Tewksbury Coronavirus: Town Declares State Of Emergency

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Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain that emerged in China in late 2019, now called COVID-19, is related to others that have caused serious outbreaks in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was on Jan. 21.

The disease, which apparently originated in animals, is now transferring from person to person, although the mechanism is not yet fully understood. Its symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath, and many patients develop pneumonia. There is as yet no vaccine against COVID-19 it and no antiviral treatment.

According to the CDC, the best way of preventing the disease is to avoid close contact with people who are sick, to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, to wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and to use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol if soap and water are not available.

To avoid spreading any respiratory illness, the CDC recommends staying at home when you are sick, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throwing the tissue in the trash, cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.