Doors close at Houston-area gyms, entertainment venues
As concerns about the new coronavirus grew, many Houstonarea gyms and entertainment venues announced Monday they were shutting their doors for the coming weeks.
In an email to members, Life Time Fitness said it would be closing all gyms nationwide Monday evening.
The move came less than a day after the general manager of the chain’s Greenway Plaza gym wrote members to say someone who had visited the gym earlier this month was later diagnosed with a presumptive case of COVID-19.
Equinox, LA Fitness, SoulCycle and Define were among the other national chains with Houston locations to announce temporary closures.
“The length of this temporary closure is dependent upon governmental guidance,” wrote Bahram Akradi, the founder, chairman and CEO of Life Time Fitness. “We will update you with a reopening date for your club and your account will be credited for the number of days the club is closed.”
Akradi said Life Time was also trying to see whether facilities could be repurposed into resource or service centers for members.
Earlier Monday, the governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut announced that gyms, ca
sinos and movie theaters would close starting that evening as part of sweeping new restrictions aimed at preventing the virus’ spread, the New York Times reported. By Monday afternoon, some of the largest fitness center chains announced they were closing temporarily on their own.
All Equinox locations were to close Monday night until further notice, according to an email sent to members. An Equinox gym member in Bethesda, Md., tested positive for the coronavirus last week, according to news reports.
“We will continue to monitor the situation and follow the recommendations of government authorities with the hope of reopening as soon as possible,” wrote Harvey Spevak, the chain’s executive chairman and managing partner.
SoulCycle announced that all of its studios in the U.S. and Canada would be shutting down Monday
night. “Never did we imagine a day where we’d have to close the doors to 99 studios and countless riders who turn to SoulCycle for a safe space,” wrote Sunder Reddy, SoulCycle’s interim CEO.
Despite the shutdowns, Define, a fitness studio that provides yoga, cycle and barre classes, said it would offer online classes and provide further information early next week.
The virus is believed to be spread by close contact (6 feet or less) through respiratory droplets from coughing and sneezing, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While the virus may be contracted by touching a surface or object and then touching one’s mouth, nose or eyes, the CDC says this isn’t the primary way that the virus is spread.
Mark Stevens, the general manager of the Life Time Fitness at Greenway Plaza, wrote members on Sunday night to say someone who visited the gym on March 7 later tested positive for the new coronavirus. The gym said it had contacted local health officials, and that they would notify at-risk individuals.
“We’re sharing this information with you because your health is paramount to us at Life Time,” Stevens wrote.
Gyms aren’t the only places whose doors will no longer be open to Houston-area residents getting cabin fever.
Regal Cinemas said it was closing all theater locations starting Tuesday. AMC decided to limit screenings to 50 people to comply with CDC guidelines.
The Menil Collection and the Houston Museum of Natural Science joined other museums in announcing they were shutting down temporarily. The science museum would be closed until at least March 27.
“In these uncertain times, we remain committed to our mission of bringing science education to our community. Stay connected with the Museum through our online collection, social media platforms, and video archives,” museum staff wrote in their announcement. “Our staff will be bringing you fresh content over the coming weeks that we hope will make social distancing a little easier.”
The Houston Symphony announced Monday evening that it was canceling its remaining concerts and activities through May 10.
Residents can still go to local malls, but operators were cutting back hours.
The Galleria said it would be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays, effective Tuesday March 17. The mall said it took the action “to support our retailers, employees and local community, and in accordance with the latest CDC guidelines regarding COVID-19.”
Other Houston-area malls to shorten their hours include Baybrook, Deerbrook, First Colony, Memorial City, Willowbrook and The Woodlands.