Locker rooms, showers, saunas, steam rooms, and other thermal rooms
If social distancing and cleaning requirements can be satisfied in the area(s), they may reopen as allowed by state/local authorities.
Swimming pools
If social distancing and cleaning requirements can be satisfied, pools may reopen where allowed by state/local authorities. Pool-based activities and classes will be staggered to enable social distancing.
Proper pool maintenance is key to a safe reopening for clubs.
Little Rock Athletic Club will keep their locker rooms open, but have only every fourth locker in use. They have also closed their pools and other “wet” areas, such as saunas for the initial opening.
Newtown Athletic Club plans to keep their locker room open with an attendant available to clean and monitor the area during club operating hours. Others like Sports Academy plan to keep locker rooms closed early on, with no changing or showering allowed.
In a plan put together by Louisiana fitness centers, including Stone Creek Club & Spa, Franco’s Health Club, Cross Gates Family Fitness, and Pelican Athletic Club and approved by state health officials, gyms will close their sauna, steam room, and hot tub but will open their pool for lap swimming with one person per lane.
Communal areas
Staff is to review the arrangement of communal areas and make adjustments to ensure the implementation of adequate safety measures. They will also take steps to avoid close gathering/congregating. Some communal areas, such as cafes, may be closed depending on state or local regulations.
In the Louisiana clubs’ plan, “furniture throughout facilities (indoors and outdoors) will be spaced to allow for proper social distancing, or will be put out of order, or will be labeled with signage stating for everyone to adhere to social distancing requirements.” The club will also place hand sanitizers and disinfecting wipes throughout the facility for staff and employees. In addition, “walkways and hallways will be marked with directional signage so that social distancing can be achieved.”
Several clubs, including Newtown Athletic Club and gyms in Louisiana, will also remove water fountain capability and offer water bottle refill stations.
Customer services
Clubs will take steps to limit close personal interactions with staff, including implementing contactless payments for services or retail, reservations, and check-in.
The the plan for fitness centers in New Hampshire outlined several measures to keep customer interactions as safe as possible during check in, including:
- Plexiglass protective shields for service desks as needed.
- Check-in processes should involve non-touch self-scan cards or other automated systems that do not require close contact between individuals nor handling of an
individual’s keys, cards, etc., by staff members. - Avoid congregating in entry areas. Develop a process to avoid congregating in entry
areas. - People should arrive to the facility wearing a cloth face covering as discussed above
in the general guidance. - A process should be developed to monitor building capacity and limit entry into the
facility and workout areas when that capacity has been reached.
Newtown Athletic Club is also adding plexiglass protective shields to service desks as needed.
Other areas in the club, such as spa facilities, salons, catering, and child care
Opening other areas of the club will be evaluated on the ability to put procedures or safeguards in place to minimize the spread of disease and will follow state and local guidelines.
Sports Academy will make daycare available by reservation only during regular Kids Klub hours, with a limit of 20 total children on two levels. Parents with sick children will be asked to take their child home.
Dedham Health and Athletic Complex will keep a number of areas closed during phase 1, including the rock gym, massage, family locker rooms, group lessons, and personal training. For kids spaces, they will follow state guidelines.