N.O.C. Working with National Fitness Association for Health and Fitness

Are gyms safe? Last week Friday, it was announced that gyms will remain closed since these facilities are considered to be super spreaders of the coronavirus. The local National Fitness Association, however, says there is no conclusive research to confirm that report and so it is working with the National Oversight Committee on preventative proposals to make the gyms super safe.  Here is News Five’s Duane Moody with a report.

Duane Moody, Reporting

Since they are considered super spreaders of COVID-19, the National Oversight Committee, in collaboration with the National Fitness Association, is looking at ways on how gyms can reopen. Statutory Instrument 149 of 2020, for now, prohibits the opening of gyms and fitness centres across the country while protocols are being ironed out.

Dean Barrow

Prime Minister Dean Barrow

“Miss Kathy Meighan, the Chamber of Commerce’s representative on the N.O.C., was tasked to work particularly with this association so that we can reach a point of agreement. And where we are is that they are asking that the Central Building Authority be designated as the entity to approve petitions for reopening and to monitor compliance with the protocols that would have to be agreed before there can be any reopening and that the C.B.A. also be empowered to lift that permission if persons are found in breach.  I make clear that despite reservations and I look at it very carefully and I saw where there is a division of opinion, but the majority opinion seems to be that gyms are potentially extremely dangerous in terms of the spreading of the virus.”

Some twenty-five gyms and counting are members of the recently formed association, whose facilities have been closed down for over six months. Since Friday, the association has been meeting with the N.O.C. to determine a way forward – hopefully within the next two weeks. According to Co-Chair Albert Garcia, there is not enough data to stigmatize the fitness industry.

Albert Garcia

Albert Garcia, Co-Chair, National Fitness Association

“It our understanding it was really getting rid of the stigma, I think first off, associated with the perception that gyms are super spreaders as people put it or phrase it. For us, definitely not the case. Specifically a zumba conference that they had because of the close contact and the aerosol or the excess exhalation and the breathing and that spreading the COVID-19 virus to others because it seems that a couple instructors had it. That seemed to be the initial issue and the massive stigma placed on gyms in Belize but worldwide. For me personally and from the lot of the research that I have been doing that’s not conclusive enough to say that the gym causes this. From Friday, we’ve been in different meetings with people from the NOC and different governmental agencies to look at a way forward with regards to reopening, but doing so in the safest possible way. We’ve come to the point whereby we are looking at amalgamating our proposal and what they have put forward as theirs. Looking at the best way forward to opening safely and providing—as far as I look at it—what is an essential service for the Belizean society.”

While the legal aspect of making fitness centres and gyms an essential service is being discussed, Garcia says that they are looking at standardized protocols to be enforced at facilities across the country.

Albert Garcia

“All of this will be in the proposal. We were looking at many different things. We looked at one, direct protocols to be put in place in terms of looking at sanitizing immediately before getting into the gym, having your social distance markers and various things ensuring your mask is always on. And then setting up sanitization areas within the facility to ensure that people can properly clean it. But one of the things we looked at after getting in, the first thing is sanitization immediately prior to and post exercise to ensure we can really mitigate the spread as best as possible. Another protocol is to ensure that all trainers do have on a mask.”

Duane Moody for News Five.