New York Gyms and Fitness Centers Can Finally Reopen
After being closed since March, Gyms and Fitness Centers can reopen August 24th with restrictions and under certain guidelines.
On Monday, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that gyms and fitness centers in New York would finally be able to reopen on August 24th and no later than September 2nd, with a reduced capacity and various health protocols in place.
Gyms and Fitness Centers will be limited to accommodating no more than 33% of their normal capacity, patrons must remain 6 feet apart and masks will be required at all times. HVAC systems must be updated that comply with state standards and will have to be inspected by local governments within two weeks of opening.
Gyms can open as soon as August 24 at 33% capacity with mandatory mask wearing and other strict health measures.
HVAC systems must meet guidelines.
Localities must inspect every gym before it opens or within 2 weeks of opening.
Localities must enforce regulations.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) August 17, 2020
In order to reopen under state guidelines, gyms would have to be inspected by the city’s health department to make sure they are following regulations and to determine whether the gym can resume classes.
Gyms will have to perform health screenings and patrons will have to sign in and provide contact information for Covid-19 contact tracing should an outbreak occur. Staff will have to clean and disinfect equipment frequently.
Amenities like steam rooms and saunas will be closed. The guidelines also urge gyms to implement policies such as “workout shifts” in which patrons sign up for scheduled workout times thus limiting the number of people in the gym at a given time.
For a full official breakdown of the State guidelines, see the documents below:
State inspection only applies to public facilities. Private gyms and fitness centers within Hotels, Condos, Apartment Complexes, Co-ops and other such facilities are not subject to the same inspection regulations and are allowed to reopen.
While New York State has the green light from Governor Cuomo, things are a bit different in New York City with Mayor Deblasio saying we should not expect gyms to reopen in such a short time.
A spokesperson for the mayor said that the city’s inspectors are currently prioritizing the inspection of childcare centers and schools to make them ready for reopening; gyms will not be inspected and not allowed to open until those are completed. The city is also forgoing the opening of indoor classes or indoor pools completely at this time.
“There’s no higher priority than making sure our schools and child care centers are safe for learning in the fall, and the City’s dedicated team of inspectors will continue prioritizing that work,” said spokesperson Mitch Schwartz. “While indoor fitness classes and indoor pools will not be opening at this time, we’ll be developing a fair and rigorous inspection system for other gym setups in the coming weeks.”
Some experts believe that indoor activities have an increased chance of spreading Covid-19 which is why establishments such as movie theaters, bowling alleys, indoor dining, and gyms have remained closed.
The lockdown had a tremendous impact on the gym industry with an untold number of small and medium-sized gyms being forced to close their doors for good. News of gyms in New York finally being allowed to reopen after a 5 month forced shutdown is great to hear not only for gym owners but also for its members.
In order to help the industry recover and aid gym owners, Gym Tech has expanded its services to now offer comprehensive gym and fitness center consultation for reopening facilities and complying with the new guidelines mandated by individual states. We service New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.
Get your gym back on track with a team that has over 15 years of industry experience. Call GYM TECH today!