Chemung County Executive: No direction from Albany on reopening gyms
ELMIRA, N.Y. (WETM) – Chemung County Executive Chris Moss says the county is not being given direction from New York State when it comes to reopening gyms.
Moss says that gym owners call the county on a “regular basis” but the Governor’s office has remained silent on providing the guidance gyms need.
Gyms were originally expected to reopen in phase four, which the Southern Tier entered in late June, but they were scratched from the reopening plan.
The regional control room meetings with the Governor’s office that were happening every day with communication from the state are now happening only two times a week, said Moss.
On July 30, Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul told 18 News that gyms will reopen “sooner rather than later,” but that there was no timeline for guidance to come out.
“I’m not sure what sooner rather than later means,” said Moss Thursday morning. “Last we were advised they were working on the schools and then they were hopefully going to work on the casinos. We haven’t heard anything on the gyms, the bowling alleys, the movie theaters, so hopefully it’ll be any day now.”
Governor Andrew Cuomo on Thursday afternoon said that gyms “have been the nationally identified source of increased infection” and that they have the data to back that up.
Guidance from the Center for Disease Control regarding gyms says that people should limit activity indoors, social distance, wear a mask, and sanitize shared equipment such as weights.
Moss says that some gyms can operate with certain outdoor activities or if they’re offering activities such as yoga or calisthenics with no free weights based on guidance from Empire State Development.
“It’s a case by case basis.”
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