SALT LAKE CITY — Some northern Utah fitness centers and gyms are reopening after the Bear River Health Department gave them the green light to continue operations, albeit with stringent guidelines to limit potential exposure to COVID-19.
The health benefits of giving the public something else to focus on other than the virus was the primary consideration for the change, said Lloyd Berentzen, Bear River Health Department director.
“We know that people are feeling obviously the stress, the social anxiety, the mental health issues that are going on (because of COVID-19),” Berentzen said. “We know that domestic violence rates are up and so we are just trying to figure out a way to do things while still protecting the public from COVID-19 and being as restrictive as possible.”
With COVID-19 cases on the rise statewide, some community members are concerned about what they see as a premature decision to open gyms and fitness centers. The Bear River Health Department, which covers Box Elder, Cache and Rich counties, is reporting 49 positive coronavirus cases, with eight individuals hospitalized as of Tuesday.
Several individuals left comments on a social media post from Logan fitness center the Sports Academy and Racquet Club condemning reopening as both disappointing and irresponsible after the center announced it would reopen Monday, while complying with the Bear River Health Department’s guidelines included in its April 13 public health order.
Dan Smith, general manager for the Sports Academy and Racquet Club, said he’s received “quite a bit of heat” following the announcement.
Berentzen said gyms and fitness centers can only open if they are able to comply with the caveats outlined in the department’s public health order, such as spacing all exercise machines at least 10 feet apart in every direction.
“We believe that it will be a very safe thing for them to come and use some limited equipment that can meet the qualifications,” he said.
In addition to spacing, locker rooms are to remain closed and team or group activities are still banned.
The Bear River Health Department also “strongly recommends” that patrons and employees wear a mask whenever possible and that individuals who are immunocompromised or over the age of 60 not use the facility.
Employees with any symptoms consistent with COVID-19 are not permitted to work and employees are to conduct screening for patrons by phone or in person before they can enter the facility.
“Social distancing has to be completely implemented all the way through this,” said Berentzen, pointing out that each patron needs to have their own 100 square feet of space.
He estimated that there are about 45 gyms and fitness centers in the health department’s jurisdiction, but he only knows of three or four that are opening. He explained that facilities can only open if they are able to meet every standard in the public health order. There will also be people from the health department inspecting the facilities to make sure employees and patrons are complying with the guidelines.
“If they are going to open, they’ve got to meet every piece of these things and then have to meet the inspections too,” he explained.
Smith with Sports Academy and Racquet Club said reopening under the new guidelines hasn’t been too difficult, as the facility was already doing “99%” of it prior to closing. With the new standards in place, Smith said staff have been screening every person who comes through the main doors.
The fitness center has taken one of the health department’s guidelines even further than what was explicitly required — expanding distancing to one person per every 200 to 250 square feet.
“That allows us to help monitor distance between people and also make sure equipment is being cleaned and going through all of those steps to make sure we are doing everything that we can,” he explained.
Smith said people have been respectful so far and that the guidelines have been received graciously. If someone were to violate the rules they would be asked not to use the gym.
The Sports Academy and Racquet Club opened its doors Monday morning. Smith said it has been nowhere close to capacity, which he noted has been helpful as it gives employees time to adjust to the new guidelines.
He said the health department’s decision to allow gyms to reopen was surprising, but welcome from the standpoint of offering a service to members.
Results Gym in Tremonton also plans to open on Wednesday.
Berentzen echoed that public response to the decision has been split. Some are grateful for the chance to get exercise, others are concerned of the potential detrimental health impacts reopening gyms could have.
He reiterated that this is not a full opening. It is “very prescriptive and limited in its nature” and implements stringent guidelines that the health department believes can be managed from a public health standpoint.
“The key for us, and I think it’s the key for all the local health departments, as these things strategically happen and we go down this road, let’s make sure that we have every possible protective thing in place so they can open and they can be safe,” Berentzen said.