NY Governor Cuomo Announces Protocols to be Met for Gyms to Reopen on August 24
Today, during his press briefing in New York City, Governor Cuomo made a number of announcements concerning gyms and their reopening in the state. He stated that they could open as soon as August 24 as long as they met the required protocols and inspections needing to be carried out.
It was last Friday when the Governor stated that the protocols were to be revealed today, just as they have been. A clear indication that gymnasiums would finally be allowed to open. Something which business owners and patrons have been concerned with for weeks.
Amongst the requirements would be the mandatory wearing of masks throughout one’s presence within a facility. Localities will be able to determine whether and to what extent indoor health instruction and classes can be carried out. Also, inspections by the health department would need to be done before or within two weeks of opening.
As of the moment of this writing, it is unclear as to whether NYC’s Health Department is in a position to handle all the many inspections needed considering all that’s being done to prepare schools for reopening in September. Word has it that the Mayor’s office is in no hurry to reopen gyms considering this.
Update –
This evening, NYC Mayor de Blasio spoke with Errol Louis of ‘Inside City Hall’ on NY1.
Mr. Louis asked the Mayor about the abovementioned subject of gyms. The Mayor stated the Health Department’s first priority centered on childcare facilities and schools.
Following is their talk as it pertains to this subject:
Louis: Next topic is one where I know you have a personal stake, which is we heard from the Governor today that New York is primed for gyms and health clubs to reopen. Have you got a taskforce? Have you got a timetable? What can you tell us about when folks will be able to go back to, I don’t know, the YMCA?
Mayor: Yes. So we’re waiting for more clear guidance from the State. We haven’t seen the exact language of the pertinent executive order. Over the last few days, City and State officials have been talking constantly. Look, we’re very cautious on this one because we remember how bad it was just months ago. And we’re very concerned about indoor settings. So, in fact, the back and forth was all about how to calibrate this properly. I think the State was right to make sure that there was local decision making on a lot of important specifics. We’re going to be cautious with that local decision making and choose to take a conservative approach. We also have a real open question around timing of inspections because our first priority in inspections right now for the Health Department is childcare facilities and schools, as we get ready for September. So we’ll work through all that, but it was, you know – I think a good back and forth with a State that allowed this outcome to be one that we can certainly work with.
Louis: So it would be the Health Department that would do inspections to give the okay to different health clubs and gyms.?
Mayor: Yes. And again, that’s important, but even more important is schools and childcare centers.
Corresponding transcript to this video clip follows below.
Governor Cuomo:
“Gyms. The guidance goes out today on gyms. Basically, the outline is 33 percent capacity. There are health requirements that are in the guidelines that have to be maintained to their ventilation requirements. This is a whole new topic where we can actually do a lot of good work and we are in New York with the HVAC systems and the filtration. Â
The gyms can open as soon as August 24. Oh, it tricked me. One of the requirements is mandating masks at all times. Gyms can open as soon as August 24, but the locality must open them by September 2. The localities have a role here. They have to inspect the gyms before they open or within 2 weeks of their opening to make sure they’re meeting all the requirements. That variation is to give localities time, if the localities need it. If the localities can get the inspections done or be ready to inspect, then they can open up August 24. Â
If a locality can’t get ready to do inspections, then they get another week. They can do it September 2. Localities can also determine whether or not the gyms have classes inside it. Some gyms have classes – localities can decide whether or not those classes can be undertaken. The local elected will make the decision in a jurisdiction and the local health departments must inspect before or within two weeks to make sure the guidelines are in place.”