All Fitness Venues and Pools Set to Reopen as Beijing Further Downgrades COVID-19 Risk Level

This past Friday, Jun 5, the Beijing Municipal Government announced that as of midnight that same day the capital's emergency response to the coronavirus epidemic would be further downgraded from level two to level three.

While restrictions have been gradually easing over the past several weeks with relation to tourist sites, parks, and museums, some aspects of Beijing life have remained under tight controls. Sports enthusiasts, for example, have only had limited access to facilities while swimmers have been forbidden to enter pools since the pandemic began.

It's been more than a month since the city downgraded to level two on Apr 30 and last updated gym operating procedures, however, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sports has announced that all fitness centers, including public and private pools across the city, can once again reopen just so long as – you guessed it – they stick to a number of strict restrictions.

Currently, the four main prevention and control measures that must be upheld by staff and visitors in both indoor and outdoor fitness facilities are as follows:

1. Users must make an appointment for capacity control so that social distancing can take place.

2. All areas will be regularly disinfected to maintain proper hygiene standards. Bathrooms and showers in changing rooms must be kept clean and dry and well ventilated. All fitness facilities, towels, slippers, etc. will be disinfected after each use.

3. Manage the health status of staff by checking their temperatures regularly as well as their health kit. If they exhibit symptoms such as fever or dry cough then they must not go to work.

4. Manage the health status of visitors by registering their name, contact information, time of visit, as well as check their health kit and temperature. Anyone who refuses to do so will be denied access.

For swimming pools and underground sports facilities, the last venues to reopen, priority will be placed on water and electricity safety checks as well as disinfection of their centralized ventilation systems. Swimming pools shall only be allowed to reopen after passing a water inspection.

Finally, all indoor fitness facilities will continue to be restricted to 50 percent capacity. The updated social distancing guidelines state that pools must prevent crowding and that each person should have an area of at least 5sqm to themselves, which if actually enforced will make it very difficult for more than a few people to enter the pool at any one time.

Nevertheless, the lowering of Beijing's risk level shows that we're on the right track, which is more than can be said for our beach bodies.

READ: Chaoyang Park Foreshore Gets a Facelift, Reopens With Some Restrictions

Image: Etienne Girardet (via Unsplash)