Coronavirus: Heathmont Canterbury Rd massage parlour starts selling hand sanitiser
A massage parlour in Melbourne’s east has gone hands-free as the latest stage of coronavirus lockdown keeps staff away from their traditional work. But they’ve found another way to put food on the table.
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A Heathmont massage parlour forced to stop its hand-on services thanks to the coronavirus outbreak has begun selling hand sanitiser.
The parlour, at 97 Canterbury Rd, has covered its front windows with posters promoting the product and also put a small sign on its nature strip.
The State Government ordered all massage parlours close on March 25 in an effort to minimise the spread of the coronavirus.
When Maroondah Leader visited yesterday, large bottles of hand sanitiser were on display for $20-$100 at the front entrance, along with signage warning people to keep their distance.
A female staff member offered a sample and confirmed the parlour was not doing any massages.
Trevor Jones, whose wife owns the parlour and is overseas, said the parlour began selling the product last week to support its three female staff members.
Mr Jones said he sourced the hand sanitiser from Triple 8 Chemicals in Bayswater and it met biological, chemical and physical food safety requirements.
“The girls that work at the shop have no income, and we bought the material for them so they can sell it,” he said.
“They make $10 per bottle off it, just so they can put some food on the table in the circumstances we are in.”
“We can’t do anything, all we use it (the parlour) for now is a retail shop to sell sanitiser.”
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Nearby traders said they had not paid much attention to the parlour’s sudden transformation.
Ajays Snow County Sports sales assistant Jo Raudino said she hadn’t seen large numbers of customers visiting the store.
“There’s not enough cars out the front for any of the shops along here,” she said.
“Like everyone I’m sure they’re trying to make money however they can,”