What is the general, current status of in-person Pro cuddling in light of the health concerns ?

CurtM

I looked around the forum and surprised I found nothing discussed on this specific topic or question.
But as of June 17th, 2020, how are Pro Cuddlers operating, in light of the virus ?
Are they mostly holding out, and just doing virtual ?
Are some of them willing to do in-person, depending on local restrictions, and/or certain conditions with the client ?
What is the general or most common practice right now ?

Sheena123

I’m only doing Skype sessions. I have a pregnant sister and a few older people around me so I’d rather not push it. I’d love to start but as long as there’s still a chance I could get it and pass it around, I’m avoiding physical cuddles completely.

ubergigglefritz

The million dollar question... 😞 I haven't done any sessions yet and am unsure what my plans are moving forward. Everything is very discouraging and frustrating. The way I do business, traveling from state to state, staying in campgrounds, and doing sessions in my motorhome is not very feasible right now. I'm wishing to see what I need in order to feel comfortable seeing my clients again, but it hasn't happened yet. 😞 I'm keeping a close watch on different states' data on here (https://covid19.healthdata.org/united-states-of-america), but only Virginia and Maryland (in the southeast) seem to be getting close to getting a handle on this. I wish North Carolina we're doing better. 😝 This isn't a money issue right now. I miss everyone. Sigh...

SnugglewithSam

I stayed closed through the pandemic and applied for PUA and got it. I also applied for the EIDL which also comes with a $1k loan advance that doesn't need to be paid back whether you take the EIDL loan or not (HIGHLY suggest any cuddler with an established business and an EIN prior to January 31st apply for that). That on top of my previous emergency savings and support network, I've been virtually unaffected by it thankfully. I know I'm one of the lucky ones.

One thing to note with professional cuddlers right now: check your state and municipal's regulations for a term along the lines of "close contact personal services," which is what professional cuddling falls under. The regulations those fall under are the ones that your cuddler should be following.

The biggest one is mask usage. I can't speak for all states but for the most part mask usage for both client and cuddler seem to be mandatory in most areas. As much as a lot of people don't want to cuddle with masks on, it reduces risk a lot even if we're cuddling (I wrote an article about this. Admins previously asked me not to link my site publicly but if you DM me I'll send it to you). If your state is implementing contact tracing even remotely thoroughly (I live in MA so we kind of set the bar), your cuddler might need your real name and a real number to comply but they may also be asked exposure questions like were they wearing masks during their sessions. If they call your professional cuddler and find out that they or their client weren't wearing masks for sessions, there's a chance they could be heavily fined. If they lie to contact tracing about mask-wearing and they take that word as truth, they're actively skewing vital data for public health. If they suspect issues and it becomes a bigger problem, they may go to their cuddle space and do a health inspection, thus more fines.

As self-employed peoples and small businesses we have restrictions and we have the dangerous potential of being very visible right now. If you want an unmasked session and your state won't allow it, I suggest finding an enthusiast instead. Find one that's been social distancing and isolating relatively well so that you have confidence in seeing without a mask. Have a conversation about how you've both mitigated risk (which you can do with professional cuddlers too if they're not initiating that conversation).

james217

Follow the CDC guidelines and screen people you are cuddling with the standard questions... Thats about all you can do short of requiring a covid test

lovetocuddleu

I'm considering starting back cuddling with masks on. I saw a virtual cuddle on YouTube. Fascinating! Has anyone done a virtual pro session? I'd be interested to hear your experiences.