17
JACKSON, MI – Workout equipment is 6 feet apart, sneeze guards are in place and there are new check-in procedures – all signs that Jackson’s YMCA is ready to open.
The downtown YMCA, 127 W. Wesley St., has safety procedures in place to help protect people from the novel coronavirus. Now all they need to the OK to open from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
Gyms were closed mid-March with the stay home order. While the order was lifted June 1, gyms in most of Michigan are not yet allowed to reopen.
“We’re really excited,” Senior Facilities Director Steven Depew said. “We miss our Y family.”
Whitmer hopes to reopen gyms, salons and more by 4th of July weekend
Door handles, countertops, exercise equipment and other high touch areas will be cleaned every two hours, Director of Marketing and Member Services Bonnie Gretzner said.
The building will close from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. every weekday so everything can be disinfected, she said.
“Everything is sprayed down with the disinfectant,” Depew said. “We let it sit and it dries overnight. We do it all again the next day.”
There are new hand sanitizing stations throughout the building.
When the YMCA is allowed to reopen, only members will be allowed inside during the first phase, Gretzner said. This is to ensure they have access because capacity limits will be in place.
Everyone must sign a waiver before entering the building for the first time, Gretzner said. It can be done online or in person.
From the sidewalk, into the building and up the front desk, there are spots every 6 feet. This is to keep people distanced as the check-in, and it will slow down entry, Gretzner said.
“Patience is very important,” Depew said. “It’s about protecting you.”
After checking in, there are new traffic patterns one the first floor, to minimum contact and crowding. People will not exit through the front door, Gretzner said. Instead, there is a new exit to keep people spaced out.
When leaving, people will be checked out, to count how many people are in the building, Gretzner said.
Group exercise classes have started because they are held outside, Gretzner said. The Summit Branch will not open when the downtown branch does because it’s mainly used for group exercise, which the YMCA will not hold indoors, she said.
Summer day camps for kids start Monday, June 22, and will run for eight weeks, Executive Program Director Megan Hunt said. Each camp allows 56 kids. Typically 250 kids are allowed, she said.
Summer day camps returning to Jackson YMCA
Masks will be worn by staff and should be worn by members in all common areas, Gretzner said. Masks can be taken off while working out, she said.
“We’re asking them to wear them as much as possible when it’s safe to do so,” Gretzner said.
Both the large and small pool will reopen when the YMCA does. The small pool will be limited to five people, Gretzner said.
Three lanes in the large pool will be available for open laps. The other three lanes can be reserved up in 30-minute slots, for people to ensure there’s space, Gretzner said. Reservations can be made up to a week in advance, by calling or emailing aquatics@jacksonymca.org.
The cardio machines were moved into the small gym to space them 6 feet apart, while the weight machines were spaced out in the fitness center. The indoor track will reopen with limited capacity as well, Gretzner said.
The YMCA is cut membership prices in half while the building is closed and about 95 percent of members stayed, Gretzner said.
Now all that’s left is to wait for the state.
“We’re ready,” Gretzner said.
READ MORE JACKSON NEWS:
Jackson mayor asks city to make Juneteenth official holiday
Jackson County commissioner charged in 6-car crash on U.S. 127
Jackson County commissioner misses 2 votes while sleeping during virtual meeting
"open" - Google News
June 20, 2020 at 07:15PM
https://ift.tt/3fGrPZj
‘We’re ready,’ for Jackson’s YMCA to open after coronavirus shut down, staff says - MLive.com
"open" - Google News
https://ift.tt/3bYShMr
https://ift.tt/3d2SYUY
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "‘We’re ready,’ for Jackson’s YMCA to open after coronavirus shut down, staff says - MLive.com"
Post a Comment