Arne Jackson couldnB次元官网网址檛 help but feel anxious as his Anytime Fitness franchise in Sidney reopened Monday morning.
B次元官网网址淭he whole thing is, you want to make sure that you have done everything that you possibly can to make people feel comfortable,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淵ou want to make sure that people recognize that you have taken all these precautions. But then you are always thinking, B次元官网网址業s there something else I could have done?B次元官网网址� What kind of reception are we going to get?B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�
The initial demand for JacksonB次元官网网址檚 gym was tentative, with just a handful of people waiting outside the doors Monday morning. But as the day progressed, JacksonB次元官网网址檚 anxiety started to drop as he began to receive positive feedback.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 glad that the B.C. government had the vision to let us open at this stage,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 very appreciative of them taking that step, and judging from the membersB次元官网网址� reaction of being able to come back and work out again, I think most members will feel the same way that I do.B次元官网网址�
But this feeling comes with caveats. For more than two months, the business did not generate any revenue, far from ideal for any business, but even less so for a business that had only opened in the fall of 2019. Jackson was also not sure when the gym might reopen.
When the provincial government allowed gyms to reopen during this second phase of the pandemic recovery, Jackson found himself in a race against time.
B次元官网网址淪o the week or week and a half prior to opening was a real panic to get all the measures in place, so that we could open for the 25th,B次元官网网址� he said.
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For starters, the gym can only operate at 50 per cent of its 20-person maximum capacity.
Other measures include large Plexiglas dividers that separate pieces of equipment as well as create physical barriers in parts of the business. Signs urging users to maintain their physical distance and follow hygiene protocols appear throughout the business, and users must also come prepared to work out right away as the business is trying to minimize the use of the change room area.
B次元官网网址淭he whole idea is to minimize how long people are in the gym,B次元官网网址� said Jackson.
The entire gym is also subject to a rigorous cleaning regime that uses disinfectant shown to kill the virus that causes COVID-19, as well as specialized equipment with which staff can reach every nook and cranny of equipment. Users must also undergo a tutorial and receive personalized cleaning supplies as they enter the facility.
In short, a lot of measures are in place and Jackson thinks they will be here for a while.
B次元官网网址淭hose measures are going to continue, so itB次元官网网址檚 impacting us from a cost perspective, with additional staff, additional cleaning supplies, hand sanititizers, just the awareness programs B次元官网网址� it all costs money,B次元官网网址� he said.
Jackson said the long-term consequences of the lockdown on his business remain to be determined. B次元官网网址淲e donB次元官网网址檛 know how many members will want to continue to freeze their accounts,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淔or our members, we just froze their accounts, so that there is no payment taken out.B次元官网网址�
He added that for any members not ready to return, the business will continue to freeze their account. B次元官网网址淣o one has to pay if they are not going to come back,B次元官网网址� he said.
If most clients retain their membership, two months of down time is B次元官网网址渂adB次元官网网址� but wonB次元官网网址檛 impact the business in the long-run. Jackson said he expects additional changes to the way in which gyms operate during the next phase of the restart.
B次元官网网址淏ut whether or not, we can go back to the way it was before may not happen until there is a vaccine,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭hat is a question even the provincial government would have to think about.B次元官网网址�
Jackson said the long-term impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the fitness industry depends on whether the novel virus that has caused the pandemic returns in the fall.
B次元官网网址淭hat is what everybody is thinking,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淐ome this fall, are we in for another round. I think that will have a major impact on all businesses, not just gyms, if that happens.B次元官网网址�
Jackson said the current pandemic figures for British Columbia generally and Vancouver Island specifically give him comfort. B次元官网网址淚 think that peopleB次元官网网址檚 fears will subside if the numbers donB次元官网网址檛 come back through the summer months. I think people will gain confidence and if that happens, if the numbers stay low, [gyms] are going to be OK.B次元官网网址�
For Misha Sood, MondayB次元官网网址檚 reopening brought a sigh of relief. B次元官网网址淚 was so happy,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚 was craving for it to be back and I feel safe.B次元官网网址�
Sood welcomed the various measures in place as something that not only benefits users like herself, but also others in the gym, including staff.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 in the love with the staff,B次元官网网址� she said.
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