Gyms across New York State will be allowed to reopen from the coronavirus shutdown starting next week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday.
The gyms will be able to reopen as of Aug. 24, must limit capacity to 33 percent to maintain social distancing and require masks at all times to curb the spread of COVID-19, the governor said.
“The localities have a role here,” Cuomo told reporters during a news conference Monday. “They have to inspect the gyms before they open or within two weeks of when they open … Localities can also determine whether gyms have classes.”
Gyms statewide were closed along with most other businesses to curb the spread of coronavirus when its spread peaked in New York in March. But gyms were among a handful of industries, including bowling alleys and movie theaters, that were left out of the fourth and final phase of the reopening plan. Gym owners sued the state to let them reopen. Bowling alleys reopened Monday with restrictions, but movie theaters have yet to get the green light to resume screenings.
“I am very happy that the economy is opening back up and am not upset, but I want my opportunity to open up my business,” Farmingdale-based SC Fit owner Charles Cassara said in June before filing the lawsuit. “You cannot close an entire industry with no data.”
Cuomo said that gyms that plan to reopen must do so by Sept. 2.
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