By: Sean Crose
After having literally been closed for months thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, gyms in New York are finally reopening. Although New York City gyms won’t be open until September, other gyms throughout the state opened their doors on Monday, August 14th. This is good news for New York boxing, which has taken an exceedingly hard hit due to the pandemic and subsequent regulations handed down by authorities. USA Boxing Metro, which is the premiere amateur boxing program in the area, if not the country, is now proceeding with caution. “The time has come,” the organization said in an email, “to reopen our doors for the return of our members but, more importantly, for an influx of new members into our community of athletes. We need to be ready.”
USA Boxing Metro then went on to present a new set of protocols for gym owners and users:
-Limit occupancy to 33% of capacity during training times
-Masks must be worn at all times by any who enter a facility
-Establish and employ thorough screening processes for staff and members
-Maintain 6 feet distances between people when exercising
-Disinfect all areas and equipment before and after each individual use
-Schedule local health department inspection before or within 14 days after opening
-Limit sparring or close contact activities
-HVAC systems must now have a MERV-13 rating (be sure to read the details)
-Have hand sanitizer available at multiple locations throughout facility
-Do not share equipment and no more community gloves, wraps, or ropes
-Locker rooms and restrooms must be cleaned every 2 hours
-Create a form with safety instructions and have every member sign a copy for your records and post throughout the facility
-Have each patron bring their own towel (if you do not provide them – if you do, they must be thoroughly washed between individuals using them)
-Prevent lingering or groupingsAppoint, assign, or become the site safety monitor to ensure all of the above practices are followed diligently
| Although it’s stepping carefully into the “new normal,” USA Boxing Metro clearly isn’t interested in taking any steps back. “There is no doubt we are in a new age,” the letter went on to state. “Many of the above practices have already been put into place at our jobs and the marketplaces/vendors we visit, so we should already be used to them.” Although the regulations may make things less than optimal, amateur boxing in New York looks to keep moving on until the new normal becomes old news. |