York County gyms reopen with limitations after weeks-long coronavirus closure
Gyms in York County reopened Monday for the first time in weeks, but patrons didn’t necessarily rush to get a work out in.
Fitness centers and gyms, along with other close-contact businesses, including barbershops and salons were allowed to open this week after S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster ordered the businesses to close at the end of March to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Nach Banwari, owner of Workout Anytime in Rock Hill, said the gym on Main Street did not get many visitors its first day open. About 10 people came into the gym every hour, he said.
“It’s been off and on,” Banwari said. “It’s pretty slow. It’s definitely not the crowd that everybody was expecting.”
The gym is set up for proper social distancing among patrons, Banwari said. Every other piece of equipment is blocked to maintain six feet of distance, he said.
Guidelines from accelerateSC and DHEC for gyms to reopen include limiting capacity to five people per 1,000 square feet or 20% of capacity, whichever is less. Gym staff are advised to clean facilities at least every two hours with “medical-grade cleaning products,” and not allow customers to share equipment.
The guidelines are not mandatory.
Banwari said the Rock Hill gym has closed off the showers and locker rooms. The facility isn’t allowing partner training and is requiring every person who enters to wear a mask, he said.
“We kind of went above and beyond the governor’s guidelines,” Banwari said. “The one thing I’ve noticed is that people really appreciate the fact that we’ve done a lot of stuff in here to help subside the spread.”
Gold’s Gym in Rock Hill has implemented similar practices to mitigate potential spread of the virus during its reopening, sales manager Caleb Griffin said.
“Kids’ care will not be open,” Griffin said. “The smoothie bar will not be open and neither will the tanning beds. We also have none of the group classes going on right now.”
The gym on Cherry Road is permitting 20% of capacity, or about 155 people, into the gym at a time, Griffin said. About 25 people came into the gym every hour, he said.
“We are asking members to do every other treadmill, so they’re not standing right next to each other,” he said. “We also have cleaning stations posted around the gym, as well as gym staff cleaning every hour.”
Snap Fitness in Fort Mill received approval from the state to remain open during McMaster’s order to close all non-essential businesses, including gyms, Chad Hatmaker, a personal trainer at the facility, said.
“We were able to make the modifications and comply with Governor McMaster’s orders,” Hatmaker said.
Part of the modifications included hiring a “board-certified chiropractic sports physician,” Manager Nick Kerzman said in a video on the facility’s Facebook page.
“We feel we provide an essential service to our members and to the community,” Kerzman said in a video. “We actually have members that are here under doctors’ orders that we provide physical therapy, rehabilitation services for people who can’t walk and who are trying to regain their mobility and their strength.”
Hatmaker said the facility had been implementing social distancing and safety measures, and will continue to do so.
“Even before the pandemic, we upheld those standards, like wiping down equipment after every single use,” Hatmaker said. “Myself, as the trainer, and the staff and our members keeping six feet distance between workouts. We’ve adhered to everything.”
Monday, Hatmaker said the facility’s attendance has nearly doubled from the time it was open while the restrictions were in place.
“We haven’t really had to make many changes to be honest, besides the fact that people were scared to come until it was official,” he said. “That was understandable.”
