On Monday, November 16th, the City of Philadelphia's Department of Public Health released updated "restrictions on businesses, events, gatherings, and other activities to help flatten the epidemic curve, prevent hospitals from becoming overwhelmed, and reduce the number of COVID-19 deaths." 

These new restrictions, effective Friday, November 20, 2020 through January 1, 2021, require the closure of gyms and indoor exercise classes. 

This petition is to strongly demand that the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Tom Farley, Philadelphia Board of Health, and Mayor Jim Kenney reconsider the restrictions placed on gyms given the results of this petition as well as the following considerations:

Gyms provide not only a physical health benefit, but they also provide a mental health benefit. The CDC itself, in a link from their COVID-19 guidelines page specifically for gyms and fitness centers (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/gym-employees.html mentions how imperative physical activity is to managing mental illness and burnout at these times: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/mental-health-non-healthcare.html

Additionally, working out is associated with boosting one's immune system, a fact that may prove necessary during this pandemic: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-to-boost-your-immune-system 

Under the new restrictions, religious institutions are now "permitted to have people indoors, but density must be capped at 5 people per 1,000 sq. ft. or 5 percent of maximum occupancy." Gyms are just as much a necessity to the mental health and wellness of individuals during this pandemic as a religious experience. 

Gyms are being unfairly grouped with bars and restaurants. Bars and restaurants allow patrons to remove their masks once seated and can continue to make revenue with take-out and outdoor dining. Gyms, once closed, make no revenue, thus inching closer to permanent closure as memberships are placed on hold until restrictions are lifted. 

One gym in particular, Retro Fitness at 1500 Spring Garden St, has instituted extensive protocols to keep employees and patrons alike healthy and safe; these measures include spacing machines 6 feet apart, nightly disinfections, personal disinfectant bottles, increased air flow turnover per hour, capacity limitations regarding the number of patrons allowed in the facility at one time, and a mandate that all patrons must wear a mask and do so correctly while within the facility. Retro Fitness does not balk at termination of patron memberships should they prove non-compliant with mask wearing. In addition, not a single employee has tested positive, nor has there been an outbreak amongst patrons. 

Philadelphia fitness centers and gyms should be allowed to remain open for the mental and physical wellbeing of active Philadelphians as well as ensuring the livelihood of fitness center owners and employees. The Department of Public Health should routinely visit fitness centers and gyms to test compliance with all previously agreed upon measures in a similar fashion to that of health inspections required of bars and restaurants. Only if a facility fails said inspection, if an employee tests positive, or there is evidence through extensive contract tracing of an outbreak, should a facility be required to close with clear guidelines in place for reopening said facility.