ALBANY – New York State officials are expected to release protocols on Monday to allow gyms to finally reopening across the state following the COVID-19 shutdown.
New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo last week announced that bowling alleys can now reopen at 50 percent capacity.
Chautauqua County Executive P.J. Wendel in a recent interview with WNYNewsNow said he has been pushing to have gyms and fitness centers reopen.
“We’ve been told all along that they’re looking at it that, they’re reviewing the on formation,” Wendel, who has a master’s degree in exercise and performance, said. “If you go across the border into Warren and Erie counties, both in Pennsylvania, they’ve not seen an uptick in their gyms and health facilities, they’re open.”
Wendel says many potential customers of local gyms have started to go out of state to work out, hurting the local economy.
“It’s concerning. We don’t want our residents to leave. We don’t mind supporting businesses, but not when our businesses are suffering.”
Wendel again called for the state government to look at each location on a county by county basis instead of a regional approach, which he said Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently rejected.
Gyms were first ordered to close on March 16 part of the New York on PAUSE order.
Leave a Reply