With gyms and yoga institutes set to reopen across the country from Wednesday, the government has come up with a set of new guidelines.
The re-opening of the gyms is a part of ‘Unlock 3’ plan.
The guidelines seek to minimise physical contact between staff and visitors at yoga centres and gyms.
However, the spas, sauna, steam bath and swimming pools are other facilities that are still not allowed to open.
Gyms and yoga institutes in containment zones will remain shut.
According to the guidelines, “Those above 65 years, people with co-morbidities, pregnant women and children below 10 have been asked not to use gyms in closed spaces.”
“Face cover or mask is mandatory at all times on the premises. But during exercising, only a visor may be used as mask may make breathing difficult.”
“It is recommended to use the COVID-19 tracker app Aarogya Setu,” the guidelines said.
“The yoga or gym floor should have space of four metres per person. Equipment should be kept six feet apart, and wherever possible, they should be moved outdoors. Create specific pathways for entering and exiting the building with proper direction markings on the walls,” it added.
For air-conditioning and ventilation, the temperature setting should be in the range of 24-30 degree Celsius with intake of fresh air as much as possible, it said.
“Sessions should be staggered with minimum gap of 15-30 minutes between classes to avoid overlap between members arriving and leaving.”
The guidelines further said restricting the number of people per group in a fitness class should be based on the size of the room and the nature of the activity.
With a spike of 52,972 cases in the last 24 hours, India’s Coronavirus tally crossed the 18 lakh-mark on Monday to reach 1,803,695.
As many as 771 people succumbed to the deadly infection in the same period taking the death toll to 38,135.