Gym owners in Delhi staged a protest outside the residence of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, on Thursday, with the demand that gyms should be opened in the national capital. The fitness centres were closed when the positivity rate was 0.5 per cent.
“All other activities are kept open but gyms are always the first ones to close. In the neighbouring states, too, gyms are open and there is no spike in Covid cases from gyms. In Delhi, we have 5,500 gyms and over 1 lakh people are dependent on the fitness industry for their livelihoods. Gyms build immunity, it’s easy to track people in gyms in case there is a Covid positive case as compared to restaurants or even weekly markets. The businesses that promote immunity are asked to be shut but wine shops are open,” said one of protesters.
Chirag Sethi, vice-president, Delhi Gym Association, said this rule was unfair on part of the Delhi government and Delhi Disaster Management Authority to close gyms but keep other services open. Sethi said in the last 20 months, gyms had remained closed for nine months. “How are we going to survive this way, how will we pay rent, fixed electricity and water charges, take care of our families,” he added.
Gyms in the national capital have been closed since the implementation of graded response action plan due to the Covid-induced restrictions. Gym owners went on to say liquor shops were allowed to be open even during the third Covid wave but gyms that helped build immunity had been asked to stay closed.
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