The majority of businesses in BC are open for business. Businesses that deliver group fitness have been ordered to shut down to provide a COVID circuit break. Group fitness, including Pilates studios, have been ordered closed for a 3rd time (4 times in some health regions), due to COVID, since March 2020.  It’s wrong to single out a single industry.

The BC Government’s rationale for closing group fitness is to provide a “circuit break” to the rising COVID case numbers. We, the undersigned, agree with the importance of health and want the case numbers to drop too. We do not agree that targeting one or two industries is in the spirit of “we are all in this together”.  The BC government has failed to demonstrate how shutting down only one or two industries will provide the much-needed circuit break.

The BC Government has stated for months now that social gathering is the cause of COVID spread.  Social gathering is being allowed to continue in the majority of society. Malls, gyms, arcades, big box stores and all types of retail stores are places where social gathering in tight spaces is occurring, and those locations are allowed to remain open.  Again, how is this “we are all in it together”?

In December the BC Government rolled out strict rules for group fitness. Our industry had made tremendous changes to delivery group fitness in a safe manner.  For example, one of the rules is 2.5 meters of separation at all times. No other industry has this requirement. Additionally, we eliminated all high intensity classes while gyms (not group fitness) are allowing members to sweat and share equipment. Group fitness was being delivered safely before the ordered shut down. The BC government has not shared with the industry evidence that group fitness has contributed to the current rise in COVID cases.

British Columbians working in the group fitness space are having their income streams turned off while the rest of British Columbians continue to work.  We are not in this together.

We, the undersigned, demand the BC Government treat Pilates studios and group fitness in a consistent manner with all other businesses, by either a) shutting down all non-essential services to achieve a real circuit-break, or b) allow Pilates studios and group fitness to re-open now.