SAN FRANCISCO—Owners of small workout studios and gyms in San Francisco are calling for the mayor and city health officials to release the scientific reasoning and data they are using to keep their businesses closed.
Co-owner of MX3 Fitness Dave Karraker is helping lead the newly formed San Francisco Independent Fitness Studio Coalition. In a press release, the coalition stated that dozens of workout places are days away from filing for bankruptcy unless they have the ability to reopen.
Gym owners including Karraker believe it is possible to safely reopen their studios to the public.
“I can literally have one client, one trainer in this giant gym of 1200 square feet observing all the COVID safety protocols. Why is that not safe and the city hasn’t been able to tell us that,” Karraker said.
These establishments have had to change how they offer classes to clients. MX3 Fitness has begun allowing members to use their equipment on the sidewalks in front of their studio, while DIAKADI Fitness has set up an outdoor training facility on a soccer field they have rented.
Any and all questions regarding the delay in openings have yet to be answered by the city. The coalition has filed a public records request with San Francisco as a step toward a lawsuit in the future.
As the coalition awaits answers from the city, gyms will remain a part of Phase 3 reopenings put into place because of COVID-19. There is no current date set for when Phase 3 will officially begin.
