Gyms in Los Angeles County reopen
By Sam Catanzaro
Bodybuilder and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger skipped a workout at Gold Gym’s in Venice over the gym’s face mask policy.
On Tuesday, June 16 Schwarzenegger–a longtime Gold’s member–arrived at Gold’s Gym in Venice to film a workout video for social media but left when he found out members aren’t required to wear masks.
Gyms in Los Angeles County reopened on Friday, June 12 with safety measures in place to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
As reported by TMZ, when Schwarzenegger arrived at the front desk he was informed members needed to wear masks when they entered and when in certain common areas, but they are not required to wear masks while working out.
Other rules include checking patrons’ temperatures and limiting capacity to 50 percent. In addition, machines sanitized throughout the day and the gym closes for an hour each afternoon for deep cleaning. A separate outdoor space is also available for guests who feel more safe working out in the fresh air.
In a statement, Adam Zeitsiff, Gold’s Gym President & CEO told Yo! Venice that they respect Schwarzenegger’s decision.
“We love Arnold and completely respect his decision. We know that where to go and what to do as the country reopens is an important personal decision that everyone must make for themselves. For the safety of our members and team members who are comfortable returning to the gym, we’ve implemented a comprehensive, phased reopening plan with extensive sanitation, safety and physical distancing protocols in accordance with federal, state and local regulations. In accordance with Los Angeles County guidelines, at Gold’s Gym Venice members are required to wear face masks when entering and exiting the gym. All team members are required to wear gloves and face masks as part of these protocols, and while we don’t require for members to wear face masks during their workout, we absolutely strongly encourage it,” Zeitsiff said.
