How gyms in San Antonio are working to protect customers from COVID-19 exposure

SAN ANTONIO – *Update March 16:

Gold’s Gym announced Monday that all company-owned locations in Texas will be closed through March 31.

Original Story:

As more COVID-19 cases arise across the nation, fitness centers in San Antonio are taking extra precautions to help limit public exposure to the virus.

Gold’s Gym, the YMCA, Planet Fitness, Orangetheory Fitness and others are taking to social media to inform gym-goers of how they plan to keep their doors open and their centers sanitized in wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

YMCA of the USA, the company’s national resource office for all 2,600 YMCA centers across the nation, issued a statement on social media and on its website to inform customers of its COVID-19 preparations.

The full YMCA statement can be read below:

"As an organization dedicated to strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, the YMCA is taking the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic very seriously. The safety and well-being of all Y members, participants, staff, volunteers and the communities we serve have been and always will be a top priority.

YMCA of the USA (Y-USA), the national resource office for the country’s 2,600 YMCAs, has been diligently monitoring the developments surrounding COVID-19 and communicating with leadership of local Ys. Each local Y is keeping a close eye on the developing news and recommendations from national and local health authorities. Ultimately, each Y is responsible for taking the steps it deems necessary to best ensure the safety of everyone in its community.

We understand this is a very concerning situation. We are asking everyone to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and take their own measures to protect themselves, including frequently washing their hands with soap and water, covering their coughs and sneezes, staying home if they do not feel well, and practicing social distancing by avoiding large crowds or close contact with others." - YMCA of the USA

The YMCA currently has 13 centers in the San Antonio area. You can find the list of YMCA centers by clicking here.

Orangetheory Fitness posted a statement on Twitter for its members on its COVID-19 preparations, saying in part, “When the rest of the world seems like it’s on pause, we’re making moves to keep you safe.”

The fitness center has suspended all of its partner workouts and will waive all corona-related late cancel and membership freeze fees until further notice, according to its Twitter post.

There are currently 15 Orangetheory Fitness centers in the San Antonio area, according its website.

Planet Fitness notified its customers via email of the precautions its taking to limit exposure to COVID-19 in its facilities.

The statement, from Planet Fitness CEO Chris Rondeau, said Planet Fitness centers will be enhancing its cleaning policies and procedures to help limit the spread of bacteria and germs, according to a recent statement.

The full statement can be read below:

"At Planet Fitness, the health and wellness of our team and our members is our #1 priority. As part of our ongoing commitment to providing a clean, safe, and welcoming workout environment, we have extensive cleanliness policies and procedures in place to help protect against the spread of bacteria and germs.

WHAT WE DO:

Our team members conduct regular and thorough cleaning of all equipment, surfaces, and areas of the club and gym floor using disinfectant cleaning supplies. In addition, we regularly complete overnight deep cleaning of the facility.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

• Wipe down equipment before and after each use with the disinfectant spray provided at our sanitation stations located throughout the gym floor
• Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly for at least 20 seconds with soap and water
• Avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
• Cough or sneeze into a tissue or your sleeve or arm - not into your hands
• Avoiding close contact with people who are sick
• For your well-being and the well-being of others, if you're sick please stay home and take care of yourself

With cold and flu season upon us and heightened awareness around the Coronavirus (COVID-19), please know that we are closely monitoring the situation and will follow instructions and recommendations issued by public health authorities or government agencies as needed.We’re proud of our high cleanliness standards and the proactive, preventative measures we take to protect against the spread of bacteria and germs. Thank you for your ongoing support and shared efforts to help keep our communities strong and healthy! Thank you" - Chris Rondeau, Planet Fitness CEO

In the San Antonio area, there are currently 16 Planet Fitness locations, according to its website.

Gold’s Gym locations are still open and are offering access to GOLD’s AMP app for existing club members at no cost, in case they aren’t able to visit the gym in person, in case of COVID-19 quarantine or other disruptions.

The gym’s CEO, Adam Zeitsiff, posted this full statement on Twitter:

“The health and safety of our members and team members is always top of mind for myself and the entire @goldsgym organization. With all the short-term disruptions happening in our communities and daily lives, we recognize it might not be possible for members to maintain their normal fitness routine. To accommodate these disruptions, we are offering access to GOLD’s AMP for existing Gold’s Gym members across the U.S. at no cost.

This is a challenging time and we want to do our part to help. My hope is that this provides a solution for parents with children at home from school closures, those working from home, those who can’t get out and everyone in between, the opportunity to continue their fitness journey, get a boost to their immune system and clear their minds… all positive outcomes from a good workout!

Our gyms are currently open and our teams are hard at work maintaining a rigorous cleaning schedule with medical-grade solutions for members who choose to workout in the gym.

My deepest thanks go out to all our members for being important parts of our legacy. Our country has persevered through many obstacles during our long history and I know we will get through this by remaining united!”

There are currently 26 Gold’s Gym locations in the San Antonio area, according to its website.

We’ll bring more updates to this list as they are released.

COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new virus, stands for coronavirus disease 2019. The disease first appeared in late 2019 in Wuhan, China, but spread around the world in early 2020, causing the World Health Organization to declare a pandemic in March.

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