Malls, gyms and movie theaters will not reopen in New York’s Phase Four
It turns out New York state’s Phase Four of reopening from its coronavirus closure is not the light at the end of the tunnel, as gyms, shopping malls and movie theaters won’t be permitted to reopen in what was believed to be the final stage.
The Cuomo administration broke the news to local officials across the state in a conference call Tuesday evening.
Other venues and businesses barred from reopening in Phase Four include: casinos, amusement parks and facial and other skin care services.
“We are continuing to study malls, movie theaters and gyms,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo told reporters during a press briefing in Manhattan Wednesday.
“We’re looking at what happened in other states,” Cuomo said. “There are some reports that malls, bars, certain social clubs with air conditioning — that air conditioning may not be cleansing the air of the virus and just recirculating the virus.”
He added, “As soon as we get some more information we will make an informed decision.”
Cuomo senior advisor Rich Azzopardi told later The Post: “There are some things that don’t fit neatly into a phase that are going to require further study and we’re going through that right now. This includes evaluating what’s going on in other states to avoid going backwards.”
Sources told The Post all of the industry’s without a reopening time frame in their sights will be authorized to reopen by a blanket date sometime in the future.
Under Phase Four — the final phase of the state’s economic reopening plan — higher education institutions, “low-risk” outdoor and indoor arts and entertainment businesses and media production can reopen.
It was announced in the conference call that in Phase Four “low-risk” outdoor arts and entertainment can operate at 35 percent capacity, while “low risk” indoor arts and entertainment businesses can operate at 25 percent capacity.
Film production and professional sports without fans may also resume in Phase Four, along with indoor museums, historical sites and aquariums all at 25 percent capacity, as well as zoos and botanical gardens at 35 percent capacity.
In Phase Four, the amount of people who can be at a religious gathering indoors will be upped from 25 percent to 33 percent, while social gatherings of up to 50 people will be allowed, Cuomo said Wednesday.
County officials across the state were not happy with the announcements about what cannot open in Phase Four, particularly Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro, Cuomo’s former 2018 GOP gubernatorial challenger.
“Either they knew and lied or they didn’t know and they’re spinning. Neither is fair to the businesses or honest to us,” Molinaro told The Post, adding that in his region — the Mid-Hudson section — county officials had been under the impression all businesses could reopen without issue in Phase Four.
Those in the fitness industry were devastated by the news.
“This basically puts the nail in the coffin for that entire movement of small gyms, micro gyms and studios,” said Spencer Tsai, 43, a personal trainer and owner of the Brooklyn Barbell Club.
Tsai, along with 20 other fitness business owners, sent a joint letter to the Cuomo, Mayor Bill de Blasio, and other elected officials pleading for the state to allow small gyms to reopen in Phase Three, citing that they can’t afford to wait until Phase Four.
“We, the New York Coalition of Gyms & Studios, join the urgent, ongoing discussion regarding the safe and lawful reopening of small gyms, fitness studios (aka micro gyms or boutique fitness studios), and similar instructor-led fitness services,” the letter, obtained by The Post, reads.
“Unlike large, commercial gyms, these co-op like facilities are uniquely positioned to enact appropriate measures to ensure the safety of our employees and clients.”
The coalition is proposing 25 percent capacity limits and 10 minute gaps between training sessions for cleaning, as well as the closure of showers and locker rooms.
David Plasse, 34, a personal trainer and owner of Plasse Strength and Fitness in Queens, said, “It’s really upsetting because Phase Four still is a long way away and to find out we’re probably not even in Phase Four — now it might crush my business.”
Plasse said that since March — under Cuomo’s shutdown order, he has lost an average of $15,000 a month.
“Right now I’m training people in a park, which isn’t ideal because it rains,” he said.
Plasse said that his business is different from larger gyms like Planet Fitness, “which has hundreds of members coming in at a time.”
“We will have just four people. We know everyone coming in at all times,” Plasse said.
Azzopardi said the issue of gyms, small or large, is complicated.
“You have a person exerting themselves with lots and lots of particles in the air in enclosed spaces of varying sides and questions about whether air conditioner’s actually cycle out the virus,” he said. “Need to look at it some more.”
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