Reopening plans: gyms to be the new COVID-19 hotspots

When President Donald Trump revealed his guidelines for “opening up America again” last week, among the bolded names of businesses and institutions that could reopen were restaurants, movie theaters and places of worship — so long as they adhered to strict social distancing protocols. Tucked near the bottom of the list, right above a warning that bars should stay closed, was a curious inclusion: gyms.

While an integral part of many Americans’ routines, gyms and fitness clubs would seem to present a particular risk for contact spread of a contagious virus. Filled with people sweating and breathing hard, sharing equipment and spaces, gyms are in many ways the last kind of business to prioritize during a deadly pandemic.