Over the last couple of weeks, the COVID-19 numbers in the Lake County area have gone up. Since then, many restaurants and businesses have closed again. Although restaurants and businesses are closing, many gyms are staying open and following certain rules. Some gyms are requiring people to wear masks and wipe down equipment before and after usage.
“When you go, you have to keep your mask on until you are doing something and when you are in between different areas,” sophomore Donald Barnett said. “When you are done with whatever you are using, you have to spray it with disinfectant spray and then wipe it down.”
These precautions are essential because if people do not follow the rules, it could cause the gym to close down if someone were to contract COVID-19.
“It was a bummer at first, at the beginning of quarantine,” sophomore student-athlete at Mckendree University Alex Riedel said. “Me and my teammates couldn’t go to our workout sessions anymore, and I didn’t workout from February to when I got back on campus in August.”
Because some gyms are closed, the people that go to those gyms may get a membership elsewhere. Many people were happy about some of the gyms staying open but understood why some were closing.
“I think that gyms closing is an unfortunate thing for many people,” junior Jacob Moisa said. “In the end, they are trying to do their part in lowering the curve of COVID-19 cases.”
Many gyms are being very cautious and sanitary with their customers and equipment. These are the gyms trying to keep everybody safe and care about the people who work out there.
“At our gym on campus, our trainers do a really good job of making sure we all follow COVID-19 protocols,” Riedel said. “We can use whatever weights we want during the session, but we put them all in a pile and use a sanitizer and wipe down our weights, benches, and racks before we can leave the gym.”
Gyms that are closing may suffer from the loss of customers but know that they will be able to open again when the pandemic is over. The gyms that are remaining open may be risking the safety of others. Still, they are very cautious to ensure no one contracts COVID-19.
