As of July 13th 2021, Ontario has lifted the mask mandate when workout at indoor and outdoor fitness facilities. Yet, Queen's University is still forcing students to keep masks on at all times of a workout or physical activity. 

The Athletics and Recreation Center (ARC) at Queen's already heavily enforces social distancing, appointment times, limiting inside capacity, mandates cleaning equipment before and after use, and increased staffed cleaning measures for facilities after every appointment time.

Wearing a mask when working out or during physical activity has already been deemed unnecessary by the Government of Ontario and associated health care specialists, not to mention it obstructs breathing when undergoing strenuous activities.

With 98% of Queen's University students and faculty being fulled vaccinated, lets get Queen's University and the Athletics and Recreation Center to remove the mask mandate during physical activities. Masks should still be worn when walking though the ARC, in between sets, when changing between equipment, and all other times when not actively working out. 

Help bring back the ARC experience students are paying for and deserve to have. Encourage more students to come to the ARC rather than losing them to other gyms that comply with Ontario's Mask Mandates but allow mask to be off while exercising. 

Queen's University should be encouraging fitness and healthy living, and should make it easy, enjoyable, and safe for students to achieve their goals.