COVID19

Primal Human Performance will be reopening Tuesday July 28, 2020.

On Monday July 20, 2020, the Ontario Provincial Government announced that York Region will be allowed to move into Phase 3 on Friday July 24, 2020, contingent on businesses following specific Ministry of Health guidelines.

This means that I’ll be back to clinical practice at my regular hours of operation.

We are open for business but there will be changes.

Because of the ongoing Coronavirus Pandemic there will be changes to the way both Primal Human Performance and Turf Athletic Club will operate.

I want to thank you for your patience and understanding toward both myself, and the staff at Turf Athletic Club as we navigate this new way of doing things.

Safety is our top priority.

In addition to the procedures implemented by Turf Athletic Club (which I will list farther down), the following are the specific procedures I’ll be implementing:

  1. All bookings will be by appointment only. Please email, call, or text me (contact info posted at end of email)
  2. I will be limiting the number of appointment spots available each day to leave time between appointments to fully sanitize all contact surfaces with hospital grade disinfectant
  3. I will email all relevant clinic forms to you prior to your appointment. I understand that not everyone has access to a printer, but if you can, please fill them out at home and bring them to your appointment. I will have copies but do ask that you bring your own pen
  4. There will be a COVID19 exposure risk questionnaire within your appointment reminder email sent out roughly 48 hours prior to your appointment
  5. Only the individual booked with me will be allowed into the facility. If that person is a minor, one parent/guardian may accompany them
  6. Please arrive at least 10 minutes before your appointment time and wait in the parking lot. I will call you to ask a series of questions to reassess COVID19 exposure risk prior to entry
  7. Hand sanitizer will be required upon entry. I will supply Health Canada approved hand sanitizer
  8. Masks will be mandatory, please bring your own. If required, I will supply masks at no charge until Sept 1, at which point I will begin charging $1 per mask
  9. Towels will no longer be used/provided due to risk of contamination

Things I will be doing to minimize risk:

  1. I will continue to wash my hands before and after each client visit, and use hand sanitizer during the visit as required
  2. I will use of disposable non-latex gloves for any treatment involving touch (e.g. manual therapy, physical assessments, etc)
  3. I will be wearing a surgical mask as well as a face shield for double coverage
  4. The treatment room and equipment will be disinfected with hospital grade disinfectant
  5. While acupuncture has been a very small part of my clinical practice, I will be suspending this treatment option until further notice
  6. During our sessions, I will make sure we remain as physically distanced as possible from each other (as treatment dictates), as well as others using the facilities

The following list is taken from Turf’s COVID19 operating procedures email sent on Monday July 20, 2020 and will give you an idea of what processes they’re putting in place:

  1. Masks are mandatory upon entering the gym
  2. Upon entry, kindly sanitize your hands at the stations provided
    A spray bottle and wipe towel will be provided to you upon entry.
  3. Personal towels are no longer provided. Kindly wipe down the equipment after use. While this was always a requirement, we will strictly be implementing this.
  4. Trainers and staff will be wearing masks at all times. They will also be instructed and empowered to enforce that members and clients are cleaning after themselves much more strictly than before.
  5. With regards to cleaning procedures, the facility has almost doubled cleaning hours compared to before. The gym will be deep cleaned daily, 5 hours a day by a professional cleaning crew.
  6. Water fountains will be taped shut. The water filling station will be kept open. I encourage you to bring a water bottle with and fill it up during exercise. Bottled water will also be available for purchase.
  7. The facility has invested in an electrostatic sprayer machine. This machine releases an ionized charge and releases a disinfecting mist which catches surfaces itself and disinfects the air. This mist will be released twice a day for an hour, which we will perform in house. Due to back orders and intense demand for this machine its delivery is slightly delayed but I expect it to be here in the first week of August.
  8. Locker rooms and showers will not be accessible and will be cordoned off. Government guidelines suggest that these areas are especially vulnerable. There will be one bathroom open at the back near the boxing ring that will be accessible.
  9. Physical distancing of at least 6 feet is to be maintained while exercising. Cardio equipment has been spaced out and/or turned off to facilitate this.

Please note the following:

These processes and procedures may change and be updated for both Primal and Turf based on information from the Ministry of Health and/or various regulatory bodies.

I’ll be working closely with the team at Turf Athletic Club to make this return as seamless as possible. However, as Sheraz from Turf stated eloquently in his email:

“The business is comprised of humans, and humans make mistakes. It will take us some time to perfect, refine and institute these changes.”

Be safe out there – continue to practice vigorous handwashing, aggressive physical distancing, and make sure you continue to keep active (while away from large crowds/gatherings).

If you need further information, have any questions, or need assistance in any way, please reach out.

If you have concerns I haven’t addressed, let me know.

These are unique times, but we will come out stronger on the other side if we all work together in kindness, compassion, and understanding.

I look forward to seeing you again and helping you move better.

Dev Chengkalath, Physiotherapist

Primal Human Performance