Covid Guidance

Fitness and Training COVID-19 Requirements (No Longer in Force as of June 30, 2021)

This document outlines the COVID-19 requirements for fitness and training facilities. Although these guidelines are no longer enforceable, they remain useful as a reference. Updates include:

June 2, 2021: Introduced new guidelines for fully vaccinated individuals.
March 26, 2021: Clarified rules for competitive and non-competitive skating and restricted saunas and steam rooms in Phases 1-3.

Facilities Covered

The guidelines apply to a variety of fitness facilities, such as:

Staffed gyms, group fitness centers, and multi-use indoor fitness spaces.
Outdoor group fitness classes.
Unstaffed fitness centers located in apartments or hotels.

However, pools and water recreation facilities follow separate Department of Health regulations.

Fully Vaccinated Individuals

According to the Secretary of Health’s Order 20-03.2, fully vaccinated individuals:

Do not need to wear masks or maintain physical distancing.
Achieve full vaccination status two weeks after receiving their final vaccine dose (Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson).

To implement these changes, businesses may:

Use an honor system.
Ask customers about their vaccination status.
Require proof of vaccination.
Enforce mask and distancing policies for everyone.

Facility Capacity by Phase

Phase 1:

Limit indoor occupancy to 1 person per 500 sq ft.
Require masks at all times.
Restrict outdoor fitness classes to 20 participants in stable cohorts.
Allow unstaffed facilities to host one user per room for sessions no longer than 45 minutes.

Phase 2:

Cap indoor occupancy at 25% or 200 people, whichever is lower.
Permit outdoor fitness classes with up to 30 participants.
Let unstaffed facilities host one user per room or up to four users from the same household.

Phase 3:

Allow indoor occupancy of up to 50% or 400 people, whichever is less.
Follow Healthy Washington guidelines for outdoor fitness classes.
Enable the use of showers and locker rooms with 6-ft distancing.

General Safety Guidelines

All facilities must adopt the following practices:

Masks: Require masks indoors and during high-intensity outdoor activities.
Physical Distancing: Maintain at least 6 feet of distance between individuals, especially during aerobic exercises.
Hygiene: Promote frequent handwashing and provide sanitizing stations.
Cleaning: Regularly disinfect shared equipment and high-touch surfaces.
Ventilation: Maximize airflow by opening windows, using fans, or upgrading HVAC systems.

Contact Tracing

Facilities must maintain participant records for 28 days to support contact tracing in case of exposure.

Employee Safety

Employers should follow Labor & Industries workplace safety guidelines to protect staff from COVID-19 risks.