What to know
- New York City gyms will be allowed to reopen on Sept. 2 following state inspections, although no classes for groups inside will be allowed
- Gov. Andrew Cuomo OK’d the return of gyms to light as early as Monday, but the city is first focused on conducting school inspections; then it will approach gyms, where a host of other COVID precautions should be
- Fitness centers have yet to reopen in New Jersey, though Gov. Phil Murphy said Friday he was trying to find a way to open them safely along with indoor dining, which he proposed in late June
New York City gyms will open for indoor workouts on Sept. 2, Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office told WNYC Friday – but indoor group classes and swimming pools will remain closed. There is also still no timeline for the return of indoor dining, City Hall said.
The announcement comes a few days after Gov. Andrew Cuomo cleared the way for gyms to open across New York State this Monday – a reward for fitness enthusiasts who have disrupted their workout routines for the past five months. Local governments should inspect each gym before or within two weeks of the new opening to ensure compliance with various COVID-19 protocols, Cuomo said.
New York City had said shortly after Cuomo’s announcement that it would likely not be able to reopen its motions Monday. Officials are prioritizing school inspections at the moment, and working to prepare them to meet students and staff safely for personal learning – at least part of the week – through Sept. 10. Gym inspections must be done by the Cuomo deadline, which would be September 16 for a start on September 2.
A number of other counties and counties in New York, including Rockland County, plan to have an open gym Monday, the first day they may return. Gyms have long been one of the few companies that were still being phased out, seeing national concerns, they could pose an improved risk of exposure to the new coronavirus.
Strict COVID safety standards apply to reopening of gymnastics nationwide. Capacity will be limited to 33 percent to begin with, although if that proves problematic, the state says this number will call back. Health requirements include mandatory masks at all times, appropriate air ventilation, application forms, screening at the door (such as temperature controls) and social distance. Cuomo allowed the return of indoor classes to local officials.
Other requirements for gyms in New York include:
- Customers should sign up with contact information and health screening
- Six feet of social distance and face masks are always maintained
- Cleaning and sanitation of supplies delivered to customers, and shared equipment cleaned between each use.
- Classes held by appointment only, and areas where classes are held should be cleared between sessions
- No shared fountains with water allowed, but gas stations for water bottles will be allowed
- Municipal showers should remain closed, but individual showers / stalls may remain in use if they are cleaned between uses
As for indoor dining, Cuomo has been remembering the entrance to New York City during Phase III and then Phase IV, while he was able to continue it throughout the rest of the state. The city has been in its final opening phase for a while, but as recently as this week, Cuomo still had no timeline for the return of indoor dining in the city.
The governor said restaurants in New York City do not treat the same environment as restaurants in other parts of the state due to a number of factors – including a lack of compliance in the five districts with COVID protocol.
“They’re demographically different, they’re different in population, they’re different by density, they’re different by population factor. Westchester County never had the problem that New York City had. Nassau never had the problem that New York City had. They’re two completely different environments, “Cuomo said. “And are we more careful in New York City because of those factors? That we are, of course. It would be negligent not to be.”
Indoor dining and gyms both remain closed in New Jersey, although Gov. Phil Murphy said last week that he was trying to figure out a way to safely resume both.
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