New Delhi, Feb 5 (PTI) Most gym and spa owners in the national capital have said they will open their establishments from Monday ensuring that all COVID-19 protocols are in place and sanitisation of the premises is conducted properly.
The Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) had on Friday announced the reopening of gyms after over a month of being shut on account of rising COVID-19 cases in the city.
The decision comes as a sigh of relief for fitness centre owners who have been staging protests and urging the government to allow them to resume businesses which have registered a major slump due to successive coronavirus-induced lockdowns.
Owners of gyms in the city welcomed the state government’s decision, saying it will help five lakh families survive the pandemic.
Chirag Sethi, vice-president of the Delhi Gym Association, said that most gyms and fitness centres will open from Monday and preparations are for it underway. “Sanitisation process is being carried out. All preparation for the resumption of the activities is being done. Members are excited to return, everything is in place. We are excited,” said Sethi.
Asked how they were planning to ensure the safety of people against COVID-19, Sethi said all the protocols and guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health will be followed.
“We are following Health Ministry’s guidelines. Only 20-30 people will be allowed in the gym at one time and showers in the fitness centres will be suspended,” he asserted.
Zuhaib Rana, proprietor of Gravitas gym in north Delhi’s Ashok Vihar, who started the facility in early 2020, exuded optimism that customer numbers would pick up as the week progresses.
“We are receiving queries indicating customer interest. People are eager to return to gyms,” said Rana said.
He also said that all precautions are being taken to ensure a safe environment for those coming back to the gyms. “We will ensure people strictly follow social distancing. We will not allow anyone to be there longer than one hour at a stretch,” he said.
Moreover, fitness enthusiasts are also elated at the reopening of the gyms.
“People were fed up of waiting for gyms to open. With Covid cases coming down, I think it’s a good move if gyms follow proper Covid protocols. I’m looking forward to resuming my workout,” Komal Sharma, 24, a resident of Laxmi Nagar said. PTI VA SLB AAR
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