Rhode Island Gyms, Restaurants Respond To Upcoming 'Pause'
PROVIDENCE, RI — Rhode Island businesses are responding in the wake of Gov. Gina Raimondo's announcement that a two-week "pause" is coming to the state after the Thanksgiving holiday to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.
The Rhode Island Hospitality Association has been a close partner with state leaders throughout the pandemic, helping to develop guidance about capacity and other regulations in restaurants to help strike the best balance between safety and financial success for business owners. During the pause, restaurant capacity will be limited to 33 percent capacity, with only one household per table and a curfew of 10 p.m. during the week and 10:30 p.m. on weekends.
"The RI Hospitality Association has been in ongoing conversations with the governor’s office over the last several days with a goal of avoiding the shutdown of indoor dining, as several states across the nation have already mandated," President Dale Venturini said in a statement. "While we were successful on this point, [Thursday's] announcement with additional dining restrictions is tough and could not come at a worse time as we enter the holiday season. However, we understand how difficult these decisions are and appreciate the ten-day lead time to prepare."
Venturini continued that the organization "looks forward" to working with the governor in coming weeks to lift the restrictions after the pause is over, and to provide much-needed economic relief to struggling restaurants with Rhode Island Commerce.
Planet Fitness, a gym chain with 16 locations in the state, fired back following Raimondo's announcement, saying there was "zero data-driven evidence" that the coronavirus spreads at fitness centers. Unlike restaurants, which can remain open under stricter regulations, gyms will be forced to close their doors completely during Rhode Island's pause.
"State leaders said today they made their announcement based on data on how cases spread, yet there is zero evidence that fitness centers are a significant source of COVID-19 spread," a spokesperson for the company said in a statement. "In fact, a recent study tracing COVID-19 cases in San Diego found that only one half of one percent of cases stemmed from a fitness center, compared to eight percent at retail locations — which will remain open as we head into the busy holiday shopping season."
The company went on to say that access to exercise is more important that ever for Rhode Islanders "as physical activity plays an important role in maintaining a healthy immune system and reducing COVID-19 risk factors such as obesity, heart disease, lung disease and diabetes."
"People need affordable access to fitness — and with colder weather in RI and early sunsets, they can’t easily and safely work out outside," the statement continued.
This article originally appeared on the Cranston Patch
