“Don’t touch my room” is the name given to this national operation in Paris. Sports hall managers from all over France will converge on the capital. Among the demonstrators, Anthony Pemjean, from the Magic Form room in Dijon:
“We ask to be heard, that we understand our situation, because our difficulties are more and more important, and we simply need help. We would like to be able to reopen as soon as possible, that would be ideal. obviously. “
With the start of the year and good resolutions, January is usually a very prolific month for the industry. “It’s the second biggest month of the year after September, staying closed for us is a hell of a blow. We have lost almost half of our members, the picture is getting darker and darker for us.”
Towards bankruptcy situations in Côte-d’Or
Like many traders, gym professionals believe they can put in place enough health measures to protect their members. “We are lucky to have a very large room, 1,500 m²”, specifies Anthony Pemjean, “It allows us to space members enormously, we can easily imagine 40 people, with social distancing easily implemented. Then, the hydroalcoholic gel, disinfection, ventilation of the rooms. These are easy measures to apply. “
In the meantime, the accounts are in the red, and soon some will go out of business, which is what is most likely anyway. “We don’t really talk about our numbers because it’s still a bit taboo, but even if nobody says it, I think that some are really in danger. When we see that we are closed for six months, with losses of turnover of more than 50% and enormous financial aid, we are all in danger. Aid that barely covers half of the rent. “
The prescription sport exception
In this very complicated period, some rooms are doing (a little) their pin of the game: they welcome customers who have a prescription to play sports, as explained by Clément Després, the co-manager of Cap santé in Dijon a gym. sport in which people with chronic pathologies are welcomed: “During the first confinement, we had a total closure in March, April and May. Now we can only accommodate people with pathologies.”
But be careful, not everyone can go to their doctor and get a prescription: “We are talking about heart problems, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, or low back pain for example.” Likewise, the costs are not reimbursed by the security, “let’s say it’s more good advice from the doctor, it’s a prescription, but all the activities are the responsibility of the client.”
A small activity that saves furniture, nothing more, according to Clément Després: “We are also suffering from the crisis, let’s say that it allows us to offer a minimum of activity, we are on about 30% of our usual customers.”
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