Gyms Close Again as Staggered Venue Reopening Plan Rolled Out
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After allowing above-ground gyms to reopen last month so long as they complied with myriad restrictions, Beijing has once again closed all fitness centers across the city. The closures, announced this last weekend, are part of a new plan to stagger the reopening of sports facilities over the coming weeks in "an orderly and safe manner" so as to fend off risks of a resurgence of COVID-19 cases, according to the Global Times.
The closures come as Chaoyang District was named the only high-risk area for infection in China, following an outbreak in Shuangjing, and is likely to add even more financial strain to a sector hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak. More than 200 gyms in Beijing and close to 7,000 nationwide, are reported to have gone out of business in the first quarter of this year, according to Chinese business analysis site Qihachi via CNBC.
The four-phase plan to reopen sports facilities will run until May 7 but that timeline is dependent on there being no new cases of COVID-19, according to the policy released by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sports on Apr 21. As of publication, the last case of local transmission in Beijing was Apr 15.The phases for reopening are staggered by facility type, with outdoor athletics, table tennis, badminton, and tennis facilities now operational but visitors are required to make reservations ahead of time. The situation will be closely monitored for one week, at which point, should the situation allow, other indoor sports facilities and gyms can reopen at limited capacity on Apr 29. The situation will again be monitored until May 7.
Throughout each of the phases, venues must restrict capacity to 50 percent and promote proper hygiene standards such as mask-wearing and regular cleaning of the facilities and equipment.
Group sports such as football, basketball, and volleyball as well as close-contact sports such as taekwondo and wrestling remain suspended until further notice.
For now, it seems that Beijing's fitness fans will have to continue to settle for working out at home, though gyms may be up and running again in a week should everything go to plan.READ: Break a Sweat Indoors With These Free Online Fitness Classes
Image: Danielle Cerullo (via Unsplash)
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