Planet Fitness Requires Masks; Some YMCAs Shut Down

Planet Fitness will soon require visitors to wear masks in all of its clubs, which are located in 46 states.

The gym chain announced Monday that the new protocol will go into effect Saturday. The requirement will cover anyone in Planet Fitness, which has already implemented a number of safety measures and required employees to wear masks due to COVID-19.

“As we continue to face the COVID-19 pandemic, amid an ongoing global health crisis, wellness has never been an essential to our collective community as it is today,” Planet Fitness CEO Chris Rondeau said in a statement, according to USA TODAY.

All Planet Fitness’ closed in March, while they have reopened with new guidelines at varying times. The company won’t be the first fitness chain to implement a mask requirement. On Monday, Life Time began enforcing masks in common areas and when in close proximity to other.

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Several YMCAs in Minnesota are closing for good due to a 30 percent drop in revenue this year. According to the Star Tribune, the YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities is closing fitness centers in St. Paul, Lino Lakes and Prior Lakes, with the intention of repurposing them into “community hubs.”

“(The) COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on our organization just as it has for nonprofits and businesses across the world,” chief operating officer Greg Waibel said in a statement, according to the Star Tribune. “The changes we are making are not ones we had planned to make when we began the year, but have become necessary for the Y to remain sustainable and relevant for the near and long term.”

The YMCA reportedly laid off 146 staff members, while another 3,428 employees were kept on unpaid furlough.