DTI to meet with gym owners amid re-opening appeal

The Department of Trade and Industry will liaise with gym owners in Metro Manila amid appeals to allow them to open under the new quarantine system.

According to Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez on Teleradyo, the DTI is holding a meeting with gym owners to discuss the health protocols that will be made once they are allowed to open.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Magsu-suggest sila ng extra safety protocol. Titingnan ho natin. Hindi po natin mapapangako sa ngayon dahil pilot test pa lang sa ngayon,” said Lopez.

The whole of Manila is now on Alert Level 4 to launch the pilot implementation of the alert level classification system that aims to help businesses recover from massive lockdowns amid the ongoing pandemic.

But Lopez appealed that the setup of gyms should be done outdoors, especially since most of them are indoor and its users often borrow equipment.

ADVERTISEMENT

“‘Yung sa gym po, indoor siya. Hindi po kasingdami ang empleyado, marami lang ho ang customer at ang isa pang delikado sa gym ay siyempre ‘yung paghinga nang malalim, siyempre ‘yung pag-exercise at pag-share ng equipment,” said Lopez.

“Ang bagong business model kung puwede ho, outdoor. Gumawa tayo ng location na kung puwede mas may free air flow, iyon po ay mas safe po sa ating lahat sa mga customer at workers,” he added.

DTI to meet with gym owners amid re-opening appeal

On Wednesday night, the Philippine Fitness Alliance (PFA) appealed to allow the gyms to open, especially since they have followed and improved their safety protocols.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Despite all these efforts, gyms have unfortunately been perceived as a high-risk environment for COVID-19,” said PFA in a statement.

They also think that the “vaccine bubble” concept should be implemented and that 95 percent of their staff have already been vaccinated.

They further insisted that they have not recorded on-site transmissions in gyms and fitness centers so far, and they have repeatedly reminded their members to adhere to health protocols.

“We have been vigilant and abided by protocols such as proper social distancing, wearing of face mask at all times, operating at the allowed capacity set by the Inter-Agency Task Force and prohibited group fitness classes,” said PFA.

Visit our Facebook page for more news updates.