[ad_1]
Gym owners across Australia look forward to the results of Friday’s national cabinet meeting after the industry was paralyzed by the impact of the coronavirus.
Fitness centers have been closed by federal government order since March 23, along with movie theaters, nightclubs, bars, and restaurants to stop the spread of COVID-19.
As social distancing restrictions on non-core businesses enter their sixth week, Prime Minister Scott Morrison is reportedly announcing this week that gyms can reopen under a strict set of conditions.
Fitness Australia CEO Barrie Elvish said the Australian leader can allow gyms to reopen as long as they limit capacity in rooms and outdoor classes to 10 people.
An empty Muscle City gym is shown on March 23 at Melbourne’s Mount Waverley. The director of Fitness Australia has said he expects restrictions on gyms to be eased on Friday.
Gymnast Rachel Dillon and her boyfriend have had to trade in their regular gym gear for home workouts (pictured before the pandemic started). Gyms operating with a maximum capacity of 10 people can reopen on Friday
“No one wants to put their name on it, but that’s what I’m hearing,” he told nine.com.au.
“We could reopen in the same way that they finally shut us down.”
Before widespread commercial closings were introduced, initial government orders to curb the spread of the virus included a ban on indoor gatherings of more than 100 people and the ‘four square meters per person’ rule in closed spaces.
In another surprising statistic, 90 percent of surveyed companies still paid $ 5,000 a month for business expenses despite not being operational.
Meanwhile, only 30 percent of companies have not reported a 100 percent decline in memberships.
The fitness industry employs more than 35,000 people, according to a COVID-19 impact report compiled by the industry body.
The report also revealed how much of the gym industry had been brought to its knees by the shutdown of society since the social distancing restrictions began in March.
The Fitness Industry Impact Report COVID-19 found that 81 percent of exercise professionals or individual merchants in the industry had lost their primary job or primary source of income.
Fitness Australia said last month that gyms had already drawn up strict safety and hygiene plans before going back into business.
Elvish said gyms are willing to do “whatever it takes” to resume the operation “sooner rather than later.”
‘The fitness industry, like all Australians, wants to make sure there is no further spread of COVID-19 as the restrictions are slowly eased. However, there is no reason that gyms cannot be one of the first sectors to reopen, “he said.
“We believe that gyms can safely reopen with established social distancing and hygiene requirements, so we have prepared a strict reopening framework for all fitness facilities and personal trainers.”
Despite Elvish’s enthusiasm, many in the industry are concerned that gyms are among the latest companies to resume normal operations as restrictions are lifted.
Redland City Council’s cordoned-off gymnastic equipment in Southeast Queensland is shown during the coronavirus blockade
Fitness Playground CEO Justin Ashley, who runs four successful gyms in Sydney, told Daily Mail Australia that they are in the hands of the state government.
‘We know it won’t be a business as usual right away. However, if gyms could be opened to even reduced capacity, that would be a positive step for the industry as well as for the health and fitness of our community at large.
“While we hope to be able to operate our gyms again in the future, during this period we will continue to support our community and members online, through The Virtual Playground.”
Pictured: a Willoughby council worker places hazard tape on outdoor gym equipment on Gore Hill on March 30 in Sydney
Business owners are now eagerly awaiting Friday’s announcement as Morrison weighs in on easing restrictions on social distancing on Friday.
Photo: Fitness Australia CEO Barrie Elvish
He warned that the rules would only be loosened if more Australians downloaded the government’s COVID-19 tracking app.
Medical Director Brendan Murphy said Sunday that health experts would recommend a slow, staggered process to get Australia out of the shutdown.
Professor Murphy said that each stage of the restriction restriction should be in place for several weeks to review how effective they are before considering any loosening of the rules.
He pointed to a partial reopening of the universities, said the national cabinet had advised that sending the children to school was safe, and that authorities were considering options to restart community sport and raise limits at meetings.
