Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has said that gyms and fitness centers in the state will be able to restart operations after Dusshera, but only if they strictly follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Based on this, gyms that have been closed since March, when the national closure was announced to combat the spread of Covid-19, are likely to open as of October 25.
Maharashtra, with the highest Covid-19 cases in the country, is following a strict unblocking, separate from the other states. The Center had allowed the reopening of gyms and fitness centers across the country in the latest phase of unlocking. But Maharashtra did not allow the gyms to reopen. Movie theaters, religious places, swimming pools, which were allowed to resume operation elsewhere, are still closed in Maharashtra.
Although gyms will open, activities such as steam bath, sauna, Zumba and Yoga, which involve group activities or water that can increase the possibility of infection, will remain suspended.
The issue of what will reopen has become contentious in the wake of mounting pressure to reopen temples in the state. Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari questioned Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s “secularism” as he does not allow temples to be opened in the state.
The Maharashtra government has recently allowed weekly markets, monorails, subway rails, and business-to-business exhibitions to gradually start operating. The monorails will start operating from October 17, while the Mumbai metro will start from October 19. The number of Mumbai residents has increased since October 15. Women can now also travel on local Mumbai trains.
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