Illness & Infectious Disease Policy

Restore aims to provide a safe and considerate environment for clients, staff and visitors.

Because Restore services may involve close physical contact, shared equipment and indoor group environments, clients and staff are expected to take reasonable steps to reduce the spread of infectious illness.

This policy applies to respiratory illnesses, COVID-19, influenza, colds, gastroenteritis and other potentially infectious illnesses.

Please do not attend Restore if you are experiencing symptoms of an infectious illness that may place other people at risk.

• fever or chills;
• significant cough;
• sore throat;
• shortness of breath associated with illness;
• new or worsening respiratory symptoms;
• vomiting or diarrhoea;
• significant fatigue or body aches associated with illness; or
• any other symptoms suggesting you may be contagious.

Health New Zealand currently recommends that people with respiratory illness stay home until they feel well, their symptoms are improving, and they have been free of fever for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication.

If you are unsure whether you should attend, please contact Restore before your appointment.

Being a household or close contact of someone who is unwell does not automatically mean you must cancel your appointment.

However, if you develop symptoms of a respiratory illness, Health New Zealand recommends that you stay home and test for COVID-19. If the first test is negative but symptoms continue, repeat testing is recommended.

If you have had significant exposure to an infectious illness and are uncertain whether attending is appropriate, please contact Restore before your appointment.

You may return to Restore when you feel well enough to participate and are no longer experiencing symptoms that suggest you are likely to be infectious.

For respiratory illnesses, Health New Zealand recommends taking additional precautions for 5 days after returning to normal activities, including good hand hygiene, cough and sneeze etiquette and, where appropriate, wearing a mask in indoor settings.

Restore does not routinely require masks.

Clients and staff are welcome to wear a mask at any time if they prefer.

Restore may recommend additional precautions in particular circumstances where this is reasonably necessary to protect clients or staff.

Restore maintains routine hygiene and cleaning procedures to reduce the risk of illness transmission.

• sanitising equipment after each use;
• regular cleaning of frequently touched surfaces;
• providing access to hand sanitiser;
• encouraging appropriate hand hygiene; and
• maintaining reasonable cleanliness of treatment, training and communal areas.

Clients are also expected to practise reasonable hygiene, including covering coughs and sneezes and cleaning their hands where appropriate.

Restore does not enforce formal physical distancing.

Clients and staff are expected to be considerate of each other’s personal space and reasonable preferences.

Some Restore services necessarily involve close physical contact or hands-on work. Where this is part of the booked service, it will be managed in accordance with Restore’s Client Consent & Acknowledgement.

If you arrive at Restore displaying symptoms that reasonably suggest you may have an infectious illness, Restore may decide that it is not appropriate for the session to proceed.

Where this occurs, the session may be cancelled.

If you attend while symptomatic without contacting Restore beforehand, the cancellation and payment terms in Restore’s Terms & Conditions will apply.

Restore staff will not provide in-person services when they are unwell and there is a reasonable risk of passing an infectious illness to clients.

If Restore needs to cancel or reschedule an appointment because of practitioner illness, clients will not be charged for the cancelled appointment.

Where possible, Restore will provide as much notice as reasonably practicable.

Some Restore clients may be at higher risk of becoming seriously unwell from respiratory or other infectious illnesses.

Clients are welcome to discuss any reasonable concerns with Restore before attending.

Restore may take additional precautions in individual circumstances where reasonably practicable.

Restore will have regard to current guidance issued by Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora, the Ministry of Health and other relevant New Zealand authorities.

Public health guidance may change from time to time.

Where government requirements or recommendations materially change, Restore may update this policy or introduce temporary measures where reasonably necessary.

The latest public guidance for COVID-19 and respiratory illness can be found through Health New Zealand.

This policy should be read alongside Restore’s:

• Terms & Conditions;
• Client Consent & Acknowledgement; and
• Privacy Policy.

Where illness results in a cancellation, missed appointment or inability to safely provide a booked service, Restore’s Terms & Conditions govern any applicable cancellation or payment obligations.