Gyms across New York State will be allowed to reopen from the coronavirus shutdown starting next week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday.The gyms will be able to reopen as of Aug. 24, must limit capacity to 33 percent to maintain social distancing and require masks at all times to curb the spread of COVID-19, the governor said.
“The localities have a role here,” Cuomo told reporters during a news conference Monday. “They have to inspect the gyms before they open or within two weeks of when they open … Localities can also determine whether gyms have classes.”
Gyms statewide were closed along with most other businesses to curb the spread of coronavirus when its spread peaked in New York in March. But gyms were among a handful of industries, including bowling alleys and movie theaters, that were left out of the fourth and final phase of the reopening plan. Gym owners sued the state to let them reopen. Bowling alleys reopened Monday with restrictions, but movie theaters have yet to get the green light to resume screenings.
NYC Teachers Pleading for COVID-19 PPE on Donation Sites
Teachers heading back to NYC schools are tackling COVID-19 on their own — by asking for donations so they can stock up on protective gear.Not trusting the city to keep them infection-free, some teachers are pleading for masks, hand sanitizers and thermometers on sites like Donors Choose, where teachers normally request cash for books and educational projects.
“It’s definitely not normal for teachers to go on Donors Choose, GoFundMe or Amazon Wish List to ask for clearing supplies,” said Annie Tan, a special-ed teacher in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.Mayor Bill de Blasio is resisting calls by the principals’ and teachers’ unions, and the City Council’s education chairman, Mark Treyger, to delay the school reopening to better gird against spreading the virus.