NEW DELHI: The Delhi Gym Association has urged Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to allow gyms to operate at 50 per cent capacity in case a yellow alert is issued under the graded action plan which was passed in anticipation of a third Covid wave.
Under the colour-coded graded action plan, passed during a Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Friday in anticipation of a third Covid wave, curbs will be implemented in accordance to the severity of the COVID-19 situation here.
The action plan has four levels of alerts based on the positivity rate or number of new cases, oxygen or bed occupancy.
It said a 'Yellow alert' will be sounded in areas where Covid positivity rate crosses 0.5 per cent for two consecutive days.
During the yellow alert, the action plan recommends closure of gyms, yoga institutes and spas.
However, it permits restaurants and bars to operate at 50 per cent capacity.
"Gyms will be the first entity to be closed whereas parks, restaurants, bars etc will function at 50 per cent occupancy.
Why are the gyms always targeted? "There is no evidence of corona spreading from any gym but still our livelihood is the first one to be closed and the last one to open," the Delhi Gym Association said in the letter to Kejriwal on Saturday.
"We request you to please reconsider this decision and allow gyms to open at 50 per cent capacity," the letter read.
There are around 5,500 gyms and fitness centres across the national capital.
Chirag Sethi, Vice-President, Delhi Gym Association said the decision would create panic among members and owners of gyms and fitness centres.
"The industry has already suffered a lot during the past few months. This decision will badly impact the industry. The entire fitness industry might just collapse and the livelihood of lakhs of people will be at stake. The landlords are now skeptical about renting out space to gyms. We request the DDMA and the CM to please reconsider this decision and allow the gyms to open with 50 per cent occupancy during the yellow alert. We will adhere to all the SOPs," Sethi said.