On Wednesday, New York’s Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that starting on Monday, March 22, indoor group fitness classes, like yoga and spinning, will be allowed to reopen at 33 percent capacity. The state’s gyms and fitness centers were allowed to reopen at limited capacity last August, but the state had allowed local governments to regulate the resumption of indoor group classes. The City of New York has not allowed such classes for the past year. Consistent with the guidelines for gyms in the state, participants in group classes must wear a mask or other appropriate face coverings during the class.
In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to advise cautionary measures for those participating in indoor group fitness classes, including proper mask use while working out and maintaining six feet of social distance. Good ventilation of the space is also recommended, and gyms in New York were already required to meet certain standards for air filtration and ventilation.
The Governor also announced that on March 22, the state will lift the restrictions on last five remaining “yellow zone” clusters which are in parts of the East and West Bronx, Kew Gardens/Forest Hills in Queens Manhattan, Newburgh, , and New Windsor. Finally, as of April 5, the state will lift the 11 p.m. curfew that currently applies to the state’s casinos, bowling alleys and pool halls, movie theaters, gyms and fitness centers.
If you have questions about this latest development, please contact Valerie K. Ferrier, Counsel in Kane Kessler’s Labor & Employment Law Department, at vferrier@kanekessler.com, 212-519-5107.