Fitness centres await gov’t nod to reopen

AMMAN — Restrictions imposed on the fitness industry by the government to curb the spread of the coronavirus have taken a heavy toll, according to sector representatives.

They recently met with the Head of the Jordan Chamber of Commerce (JCC) Nael Kabariti, to review the industry’s situation, in addition to discussing the government’s promises regarding the gradual reopening of various sectors, including fitness facilities and gyms, according to a statement from sector representatives made available to The Jordan Times on Tuesday.

 “The reopening date remains the same, at the beginning of 2021. The sector will reopen within strict regulations and protocols,” read the statement.

Amendments have been made to the Jordan Olympic Committee’s (JOC) protocols that were handed for approval and ratification, the statement said.

The sector representatives, in the statement, said that according to the Labour Ministry’s new guidelines, fitness centres have to employ a “security and quality officer” to monitor adherence to COVID protocol inside the facilities.

“The fitness industry has been hit by the pandemic, but what made things worse is the government’s total closure of the sector,” Salma Ali, a general manager at a fitness centre, told The Jordan Times on Wednesday.

Furthermore, she said that many fitness facilities are about to close down, noting that many gym owners are unable to pay the salaries of their current staff. Appointing a new staff member to monitor adherence to COVID protocol in fitness centres “would only make matters worse” due to budget constraints during the pandemic crisis, she added.

Mohammad Ayas, a fitness centre owner told The Jordan Times on Wednesday that “our demands have not changed. None of the relevant authorities were able to give a reasonable explanation for the industry’s suspension to this day”, adding that the Kingdom’s fitness sector is effectively “marginalised”.

According to a 2019 study conducted by the JOC shared with The Jordan Times, the Kingdom’s fitness sector comprises more than 2867 sports centres and academies, employing 26,276 persons, and contributing some 1.3 per cent of GDP.