The novel Coronavirus, or COVID-19, is in the news everywhere. While we all try to cope with changes that are affecting all of our lives, we wanted to make sure we are keeping you informed about what we are doing at Harry’s Dive Shop and Swim-Smart@Harrys to keep our customers and team healthy, all the while trying to continue to run a healthy business.
As you know, our business is centered around you and your family’s enjoyment and safety. Please scroll through to learn more about what we are doing in our business to stay open and to stay healthy, and for the various recommendations and best practice guidance for the different activities we all enjoy.
Harry’s continues to be fully committed to your health and well-being. As always, thank you for being part of our family!
General Approach to COVID-19 at Harry’s Dive Shop/Swim-Smart@Harrys
- Our staff keeps our shop clean by routinely and completely sanitizing the restroom areas, counter tops and common areas.
- Our staff ensures that any piece of equipment that is going to be tried on or used for SCUBA or swimming is appropriately sanitized for you, following the current best-practice guidelines.
- Our staff discusses the safety considerations with all class participants and provides guidance, as detailed below, to encourage a safe and fun time for all customers.
- Employees will provide any customer with additional resources to help with additional sanitation, if requested.
- Our staff has been educated on the concerns with COVID-19 and will elect not to be at work in the event of any influenza like illness, especially if associated with a fever.
COVID-19 and Scuba, Snorkel and Freedive Classes at Harry’s Dive Shop
Beyond the basic recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization (WHO) (washing your hands frequently, staying home when you feel sick and being diligent in common sense cleanliness), please remember the following as it pertains to your scuba/snorkel/freedive classes:
- If you feel sick or need to reschedule a class, please call or email us as soon as possible. We will deal with each situation on an individual basis.
- We thoroughly clean rental gear when it is returned, but please re-clean every piece of gear we rent to you. This will help make sure you know it is cleaned by you and ready to use safely.
- We have disinfecting spray bottles and wipes located throughout the shop to make this task easy and to keep you healthy! While we take every precaution with all of our rental gear, we also know that germs are sneaky so you might consider a new mouthpiece. You can keep and bring in for all your classes may be just the investment you want to make.
- Pool water is safe: Our pool is cleaned by the ionization of chlorine. This is a known virus killer! We continually test the pool to ensure that the chlorine and pH levels in accordance with Jefferson Parish guidelines.
COVID-19 and Travel Recommendations for Harry’s Dive Shop Trips
You saved to travel to a tropical destination for scuba diving and, all of a sudden, a world pandemic is messing with your plans. As a business that enjoys traveling with you, we understand how you feel. You want to go but don’t know if it is safe. We all have the same questions:
- What happens if the plans change mid-trip?
- Will your money be returned if you end up having to cancel your trip?
None of us can answer all these questions clearly, especially as each travel operator (airlines, hotels, host dive operations, etc.) has a different cancellation policy and response to the Coronavirus travel worries and bans.
The good news is there are a lot of resources out there to help you navigate what to do and what may happen with your travel plans.
- Current Group Trip Bookings: We are available to answer questions regarding group travel. Each trip may have a different cancellation policy and many of our trips are months away, which allows us time to see what happens with Coronavirus and travel. We are being as flexible as our vendors will allow, so please reach out with questions. Please note, our current Roatan trip is on! We are leaving Saturday, July 4, without any restrictions or changes to the travel plan.
- Future Group Trip Bookings: Most of our future trips are sold out, but if you decide to put a deposit down on a trip, please make sure you look into travel insurance right away, as the earlier you purchase insurance, the easier it is to get “cancel for any reason” coverage. Our cancellation policy is typically a non-refundable deposit, but if we can fill your space, we will refund all that we can recover.
- Travel Insurance: Every company is different, but the basic message is that most policies will not cover you if you cancel because of the Coronavirus outbreak. The only insurance that will cover you if you cancel because you do not want to travel during the Coronavirus outbreak is “Cancel for Any Reason” coverage. This is an additional fee on top of traditional travel insurance. You must have already purchased this prior to the outbreak and even then some companies are not covering Coronavirus as a reason for cancellation./li>
- Purchasing Travel Insurance Now: Coronavirus will still not be covered as a reason, but if you are sick and cannot travel and that is a reason covered in your insurance policy, then you are covered. Please call your travel insurance company directly to discuss what is and is not covered. (Harry’s Dive Shop does not sell travel insurance; you must purchase that on your own.) For future travel insurance coverage see what is currently available through Divers Alert Network (DAN) and Travel Guard.
- Individual Country Travel Advisories: IATA, an international travel consortium, has compiled a list of all travel restrictions for each individual country, which is a great resource for current information for each country you may be traveling to now or in the future.
COVID-19 and Swim Classes
Your child’s safety is our biggest concern. As such, we are closing Swim-Smart@Hary’s until April 13. After that we will offer swim lessons as long as we are able and it is healthy to do so for our swimmers, parents and employees. Remember, continuity in learning is the best way to keep your kids safe in pools, lakes and the ocean!
One of our biggest defenses against sharing illnesses is washing our hands. We encourage you and your children to wash your hands often and thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds (sing your ABCs). Please read CDC, WHO and the American Academy of Pediatrics’ guidelines for keeping you and your family safe.
While participating in classes with Swim-Smart@Harrys, please remember the following:
- Our Make-Up policy: You can change or cancel by calling or emailing us. This has always been and continues to be our regular policy on missed lessons.
- Swim-Smart@Harrys sickness policy: Keep your child (and siblings) home if they have any of the following symptoms:
- Two or more episodes of diarrhea within the past 24 hours.
- A fever (not associated with teething).
- Are lethargic.
- Has vomited in the past 24 hours.
- Has been diagnosed with a contagious illness such as the flu, pink eye, croup, strep, hand foot and mouth disease, etc.
- Has stayed home from school due to illness.
- Has had symptoms of illness within the last 24 hours (especially cold and flu symptoms).
- Sick siblings and guardians: Please do not accompany healthy students to swim lessons.
- Teacher observations of illness: If your child’s teaching observes any signs or symptoms of illness, they may ask you questions about your child’s health. This is to keep you, other swimmers and our teachers safe and healthy.
We hope that with continued sanitation and cleanliness observed at Swim-Smart@Harrys, we will be able to minimize the risks for COVID-19 or other contagious illnesses.
We are constantly monitoring the guidance and recommendations from our local Public Health Authority and the CDC. With this, we will make immediate changes as are necessary to continue to ensure that you are in a clean environment when you are at Swim-Smart@Harry’s. Additionally please feel free to reach out to us with additional questions regarding this matter.