Indoor fitness classes in New York will be allowed to resume on Monday, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo said at a press conference on Wednesday.
New York will also lift restrictions on so-called “yellow zones,” areas where the state has placed tighter restrictions on restaurants and other businesses on Monday due to troubling coronavirus data.
There were only five yellow areas left in the state as of Wednesday: two in the Bronx, one in Queens, one in Manhattan and one in Orange County, north of New York.
In those areas, restaurants were limited to just 4 people at the table, and non-residential gatherings were capped at 25 – even as the state decided to allow larger events like weddings and reopen venues. arts and entertainment.
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Mr Cuomo also said that on April 5, the state would end an 23-hour curfew on casinos, cinemas, bowling alleys, pool halls and gymnasiums. It will leave a similar curfew on restaurants, bars and catering events in place.
The indoor exercise class announcement came after a number of fitness studio owners protested in front of the town hall mardi.
When the governor ordered local governments to allow the reopening of statewide gyms last September, he allowed local authorities to decide whether or not to allow the return of indoor fitness classes. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio declined to do so, citing fears of an increased risk of transmission in these spaces.
Last month a group of fitness studios continued M. de Blasio and M. Cuomo for the right to reopen.
Fitness classes will be capped at 33% of capacity, like state gyms, and clients will be required to wear a face covering while exercising.
Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently advised fitness centers to take a variety of measures to prevent outbreaks, including enforcing proper mask use while training and keeping clients six feet away. He also said fitness facilities should ensure good ventilation. Gyms in New York City are required to meet certain standards for air filtration and ventilation.
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The CDC found that heavy breathing during strenuous physical activity in confined indoor spaces could increase the chances of transmission, and fitness teachers who shouted exercise instructions at limbs may also have contributed to the spread.
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