NEW DELHI: Three days after the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) lifted the restrictions and allowed the multiplexes, banquet halls, and restaurants, the Delhi Gym owners continued their protest, demanding the reopening of gyms in the national capital.
The gym association members on Saturday staged a protest outside the Lt Governor’s house and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence. The protest was attended by over 200 gym owners, fitness trainers, and staff members. All of them demanded that the gyms be allowed to open immediately to save them from going bankrupt.
Delhi Gym Association Vice-President Chirag Sethi said: “When everything else is open why close the gyms. Fitness centres are open in the neighboring states, but no surge in the Omnicron cases is seen. Do we want the people of Delhi to stay unhealthy, unfit, and obese? No case of corona transmission has been recorded in any gym all over the world. The DDMA should think about the five lakh families dependent on this industry.”
He added, “Every other business is open in Delhi but gyms have been asked to close down. A total of 5,500 gyms and five lakh families which are dependent on them for their survival feel cheated as other businesses which were shut along with the gyms such as banquets and cinema halls were allowed to open at 50% capacity, but permission was not granted for gyms.”
On January 27, the DDMA in its meeting had announced the lifting of the weekend curfew, ending the odd-even system imposed on markets and malls. The DDMA also allowed restaurants bars and multiplexes to run with 50 per cent capacity. It allowed the weddings to take place with a maximum capacity of 200 people.
However, there was no mention if the gyms will be open or not in the DDMA order. The gym associations of the national capital have been protesting since last year December when the DDMA had ordered their closure.
The city on Friday reported 4,044 fresh Covid-19 cases and 25 deaths. The positivity rate, which was 30.6 per cent on January 14, now, according to data released on Friday, stands at 8.6 per cent for the city.
There are 15,428 beds for Covid patients in Delhi hospitals and 1,771 (11.48 per cent) of them are occupied. A total of 1,772 Covid patients are in hospitals, the health department bulletin on Saturday stated.
Lives of over 5 lakh getting affected
The gym associations of the national capital have been protesting since last year December when the DDMA had ordered their closure. Delhi Gym owners staged a protest outside the Lt Governor’s house and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence. The protest was attended by over 200 gym owners, fitness trainers, and staff members. All of them demanded that the gyms be allowed to open immediately to save them from going bankrupt. Delhi Gym Association Vice-President Chirag Sethi earlier said that the DDMA’s decision to keep gyms shut is affecting the livelihood of around 5 lakh people.
