Luhačovice is reviving, people are coming for spa stays again

"Today and tomorrow, clients are starting their stays at the Vítkov Children's Hospital, and on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, patients are arriving at the Palace and Moravia. Of course, in accordance with all the measures, such as accommodating only one person per room unless they are family members or observing a two-metre separation distance when eating," Dědek said.

The capacity of the facility will be only partially filled for the time being, even with the measures in place. "About 70 clients are arriving at Vítkov, which has 110 beds, while 130 clients are entering the Palace, which has a normal capacity of 230 beds," Dědek outlined. Some patients will head to Moravia and another facility is due to start up next week. "We expect to open the Miramonti children's hospital, there should also be some 70 clients, which are young children with their mothers, just like in the case of Vítkov," Dědek added.

The fact that extreme care is taken with regard to hygiene measures is evident already when patients are admitted.

"Patients are communicated with, a questionnaire is sent to them in advance, where they confirm that they do not suffer from any infections, they have no problems. When they arrive, they come to the so-called filter, i.e. they do not enter directly into the building where they are staying. They are interviewed by a nurse in a designated area and their temperature is taken without contact. Once they have gone through this process, they are given a label in the form of a wristband, which entitles them to enter the spa facility. No people other than employees and clients are allowed to enter," described the executive director of the Luhačovice Spa.

Some measures have been introduced beyond the government regulations that specify the conditions for providing spa care today. "For example, we are not ordered to take patients' temperatures every day, but we do this as well for preventive reasons," Dědek noted. In connection with the arrival of guests, some employees have naturally returned to the company's operations, which is very important not only for the joint-stock company but also for the town and the surrounding area. The spa companies are among the most important employers here.

On Wednesday, April 29, the first new patients arrived after the forced lockout also at the Spa Treatment House Prague, another of the spa care providers in Luhačovice.

"The first ones have already arrived, we should have 25 clients by the end of the week," said Anna Kneblová, the owner of LLD Praha. She added that originally there were supposed to be more, but some cancelled or rescheduled their stay after seeing their doctor. "I don't understand, don't let the district doctors be angry with me. I have already written to the spa association to see if they would mention it somewhere, that if the Ministry of Health issues strict hygiene conditions, it is definitely even safer here now than once everything is loosened up and we go into full operation," Kneblová noted.

While some people with approved spa care proposals may be hesitant to go to the spa, it was immediately clear to Marie Hrnčířová, who was the first patient to arrive at the Prague Spa on April 29. "I am very happy that the stays have been renewed, I was waiting for it. I come here once a year and I always look forward to it. I should have had the original appointment earlier, but suddenly on Friday they called me that I would be able to come, so I was very happy," said the senior who came from Pelhřimov. She added that she has been coming to Luhačovice for many years. Recently, she has been going to LLD Praha, where she is very satisfied. She is very much looking forward to a four-week stay in Luhačovice.

She decided right away that she would like to come.

"A reasonable person will not refuse, I know that spa treatment helps me. I am being treated for asthma and respiratory problems and a stay always does me a lot of good. I'm not afraid of coronavirus, you can get it anywhere, like in a shop. The measures also restrict us at home, we have to wear masks, so I'd rather wear it at the spa," the senior remarked.

Despite a number of measures in place so far, spa companies are encountering some apprehension, especially from elderly clients, about going to the spa now. According to the director of the Luhačovice Spa, about half of the adult clients called refused. "The situation is different for child patients with an escort, where, on the contrary, we have noticed a majority of interest in coming," Dědek noted. The third of the spa companies operating in Luhačovice also believed that there would be more interest among adult patients, as Veronika Záhorská, director of Miramare Spa Hotels, said on behalf of Royal Spa. "It's not as easy as we thought, when we assumed that people would be excited, they would want a change of environment. Some are apprehensive about going to the spa, so we will be opening, but in relatively small numbers," Záhorská said. The first clients have yet to arrive at their facility. "We have a capacity of about 300 beds in Luhačovice. With the fact that only family members can be in the room in multiple people, otherwise everyone is in one room, the capacity is of course decreasing. Next week we will start at some 60 people. Gradually, depending on the interest, it should go up," Záhorská believes. However, she added, even in their facility they are prepared for the arrival of patients, even beyond the mandatory measures. "Everyone has drapes and other protective equipment, we have plenty of disinfectant, and we will have large disinfectant racks set up everywhere. We also have a special plan for how often the rooms will be disinfected," Záhorská outlined. She added that they want to ensure the rooms are free of infection by using ozone, among other things. "But we also have UV lamps, which we have used before to disinfect the environment, for example at inhalation sessions. So we have a plan that they will be transported around the areas where most people are," Záhorská outlined. "We are preparing intensively and we will be very careful first and foremost about the safety of our clients, but also of our employees, and we will believe that the overall situation will continue to improve," Záhorská added.

Luhačovice is ready for the arrival of guests.

Mayor Marin Ležák is also pleased that spa clients have been able to return to Luhačovice and that guests from regular hotels will soon be arriving as well. "We are looking forward to all visitors, the town is ready and all the corridors and streets are properly prepared for their arrival. They will find Luhačovice as they are used to it," said the mayor. The opening of most of the public mineral springs has already brought a revival in the town. The town will open a tourist information centre and a library on Monday. According to the director of Luhačovice Spa, the hall of Luhačovice's most famous spring, Vincentka, should also open from 8 May, but it is already available to everyone in the drinking fountain in the middle of the colonnade. The atmosphere of the spa town should then be further enlivened by the planned opening of gardens, restaurants and some cultural events. You can already buy refreshments "through the window" at several places while walking through Luhačovice.

Categories: News from the city, Luhačovice, COVID-19, Spa Luhačovice, City of Luhačovice, Coronavirus