Covid Guidance
As of June 30th, this document is no longer in force. It may be used as guidance.
Fitness and Training COVID-19 Requirements
Summary of June 2, 2021 changes:
– New guidelines for fully vaccinated individuals, all phases.Summary of March 26, 2021 changes:
– Clarified distinction between competitive skating and non-competitive skating.– Clarified that saunas and steam rooms not allowed in Phases 1-3
Included here:
Staffed indoor fitness studios, individual sports and fitness training, group fitness, gyms, and multi-use indoor fitness facilities providing private instruction and access to personal fitness training and/or specialized equipment, including but not limited to weight and resistance training, cardio exercise equipment, martial arts without contact, yoga, skating (open skate, noncompetitive) squash and racquetball and similar personal training, group training, or independent fitness services. Unstaffed indoor fitness facilities in locations such as hotels and apartment buildings. Outdoor group fitness classes.
Staffed indoor fitness studios, individual sports and fitness training, group fitness, gyms, and multi-use indoor fitness facilities providing private instruction and access to personal fitness training and/or specialized equipment, including but not limited to weight and resistance training, cardio exercise equipment, martial arts without contact, yoga, skating (open skate, noncompetitive) squash and racquetball and similar personal training, group training, or independent fitness services. Unstaffed indoor fitness facilities in locations such as hotels and apartment buildings. Outdoor group fitness classes.
Not included here:
Pools. Pool and water recreation facilities should follow the Department of Health’s COVID-19
guidance for staffed pools and the Governor’s Phased Guidance for water recreation.
Indoor or outdoor sporting activities such as gymnastics, non-contact dance, non-contact cheer, martial arts with contact including competitions, climbing, skating (competitive), tennis, volleyball, basketball and soccer. Except as otherwise specified in this guidance, indoor and outdoor competitive sporting activities, such as professional, amateur, or organized team sports and outdoor group fitness classes should follow the guidance for Professional Sports and Other Sporting Activities. All indoor fitness training facilities operating must adopt a written procedure for employee safety and customer interaction that is at least as strict as this procedure and complies with the safety and health requirements below.
Indoor or outdoor sporting activities such as gymnastics, non-contact dance, non-contact cheer, martial arts with contact including competitions, climbing, skating (competitive), tennis, volleyball, basketball and soccer. Except as otherwise specified in this guidance, indoor and outdoor competitive sporting activities, such as professional, amateur, or organized team sports and outdoor group fitness classes should follow the guidance for Professional Sports and Other Sporting Activities. All indoor fitness training facilities operating must adopt a written procedure for employee safety and customer interaction that is at least as strict as this procedure and complies with the safety and health requirements below.
No business may operate until it can meet and maintain all the requirements in this document, including providing materials, schedules and equipment required to comply.
Fully Vaccinated Individuals
*** Nothing in this section repeals any of the other provisions found in this document. Rather, this section creates limited exemptions for fully vaccinated individuals. ***
Fully Vaccinated Individuals
*** Nothing in this section repeals any of the other provisions found in this document. Rather, this section creates limited exemptions for fully vaccinated individuals. ***
- Participants/Customers: In accordance with the Secretary of Health’s Order 20-03.2, fully vaccinated individuals are exempt from the requirement to wear a face covering. A person is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 two weeks after they have received the second dose in a two-dose series (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) or two weeks after they have received a single-dose vaccine (Johnson and Johnson/Janssen).
Fully vaccinated individuals are also exempt from physical distancing requirements.
To implement this section, businesses may:
a. Implement an honor system; b. Engage with customers to ask about vaccination status;
c. Require proof of vaccination status; or
d. Continue mandating the use of face coverings.
2. Employees: Follow the requirements from the Department of Labor & Industries here.
Limited Use of Facility and Business Adaptations
Access to indoor fitness and training facilities is limited by the size of the facility:
Phase 1: All facilities must calculate allowable customer occupancy by dividing the room size or available floor space by 500 square feet per person.
– The minimum 500 square feet per person occupancy must be calculated and enforced by the facility for every room in a facility where indoor fitness and training occurs. Each room where indoor fitness and training occurs must be monitored to ensure the 500 square feet per person maximum occupancy is not exceeded.
– Face coverings are required at all times.
– Individuals may use the facilities for less than an hour at a time. One-on-one instruction and group instruction classes limited less than an hour at a time. Capacity determined by square footage per person.
– Stationary fitness equipment must be arranged such that users are not facing each other, regardless of the distance between users.
– Squash and racquetball courts open only for individual use and facilities must allow 30 minutes of non-use between each session. – Outdoor group fitness
classes limited to a maximum of 20 participants per class at a time in stable cohorts of 5. Face coverings required at all times. Outdoor structures, in order to be considered outdoors, should have no more than two walls to provide appropriate ventilation unless they meet this ventilation requirement; structures can have three walls if another opening exists that is large enough to create cross ventilation. For detailed guidelines please consult Open Air and Outdoor Seating requirements.
– Unstaffed indoor fitness facilities (examples include apartment and hotel fitness centers) allowed one user per room, scheduled in advance, face coverings required, use of the facilities for no longer than 45 minutes at a time.
Phase 1: All facilities must calculate allowable customer occupancy by dividing the room size or available floor space by 500 square feet per person.
– The minimum 500 square feet per person occupancy must be calculated and enforced by the facility for every room in a facility where indoor fitness and training occurs. Each room where indoor fitness and training occurs must be monitored to ensure the 500 square feet per person maximum occupancy is not exceeded.
– Face coverings are required at all times.
– Individuals may use the facilities for less than an hour at a time. One-on-one instruction and group instruction classes limited less than an hour at a time. Capacity determined by square footage per person.
– Stationary fitness equipment must be arranged such that users are not facing each other, regardless of the distance between users.
– Squash and racquetball courts open only for individual use and facilities must allow 30 minutes of non-use between each session. – Outdoor group fitness
classes limited to a maximum of 20 participants per class at a time in stable cohorts of 5. Face coverings required at all times. Outdoor structures, in order to be considered outdoors, should have no more than two walls to provide appropriate ventilation unless they meet this ventilation requirement; structures can have three walls if another opening exists that is large enough to create cross ventilation. For detailed guidelines please consult Open Air and Outdoor Seating requirements.
– Unstaffed indoor fitness facilities (examples include apartment and hotel fitness centers) allowed one user per room, scheduled in advance, face coverings required, use of the facilities for no longer than 45 minutes at a time.
Phase 2:
– The occupancy of the facility may not exceed 25 percent of the fire code occupancy rating, or 200 people max, whichever is less.
– Squash and racquetball courts open for games. Facilities must allow 30 minutes of non-use between each session.
– Outdoor group fitness classes limited to a maximum of 30 participants. Face coverings required at all times. Outdoor structures, in order to be considered outdoors, should have no more than two walls to provide appropriate ventilation unless they meet this ventilation requirement; Structures can have three walls if another opening exists that is large enough to create cross ventilation.
– Unstaffed indoor fitness facilities allowed one user per room or up to 4 users from the same household, scheduled in advance, face coverings required.
– The occupancy of the facility may not exceed 25 percent of the fire code occupancy rating, or 200 people max, whichever is less.
– Squash and racquetball courts open for games. Facilities must allow 30 minutes of non-use between each session.
– Outdoor group fitness classes limited to a maximum of 30 participants. Face coverings required at all times. Outdoor structures, in order to be considered outdoors, should have no more than two walls to provide appropriate ventilation unless they meet this ventilation requirement; Structures can have three walls if another opening exists that is large enough to create cross ventilation.
– Unstaffed indoor fitness facilities allowed one user per room or up to 4 users from the same household, scheduled in advance, face coverings required.
Phase 3:
– Maximum occupancy, per room, may not exceed 50% or 400, whichever is lower, of the fire code occupancy rating for each room. Facilities larger than 100,000 square feet may not exceed 50%
capacity or 600, whichever is lower.
– For indoor fitness classes, up to 50% occupancy is permitted as long as a minimum of six feet of physical distance is maintained.
– Facial coverings required for indoor fitness activities.
– Outdoor group fitness classes not limited beyond Healthy Washington outdoor event restrictions.
Face coverings may be removed for classes that do not require contact and participants can maintain 6 feet of distance.
– Unstaffed indoor fitness facilities maximum occupancy may not exceed 25% of the fire code occupancy rating for each room.
– Squash and racquetball courts open for games. Facilities must allow 15 minutes of non-use between each session. Facial covering required for squash and racquetball.
– Pick-up basketball games allowed, facial coverings required.
– Skating (open skate—non-competitive) allowed. Maximum capacity is 50% of fire code
occupancy or 400 people per room, whichever is lower. Mask use required at all times except when actively eating or drinking. Rental skates must be disinfected after each use. Restaurants and pro-shops must follow required guidelines for food service and retail for Phase 3.
– Use of showers and lockers is permitted with 6 foot distancing required between users.
In Phases 1-3, license-exempt drop-off childcare programs where parents or guardians remain onsite for purposes other than employment are not allowed. Only licensed childcare is permitted, and
must follow Department of Health guidance for Child Care, Youth Development, and Summer Day Camps. Children in licensed childcare do not count toward the overall occupancy limit for the purpose of calculating fitness facility occupancy and the minimum required square footage per person.
In Phase 1-3 saunas and steam rooms not allowed.
Safety and Health Requirements all phases
Stay home when sick or if a close contact of someone with COVID-19 Staff and participants should be required to stay home if they feel unwell, show any signs of COVID-19, or are a close contact of a confirmed case. Screening should consider symptoms listed by the CDC. Any person with symptoms of COVID-19 or who is a close contact of someone with confirmed COVID-19 should not be allowed to participate and should contact his or her primary care provider or other
appropriate health-care professional.
Masks required for staff and participants at all times. Physical Distance A minimum of 6 feet of physical distance must be maintained between staff and clients at all times where possible. This distance should be increased when clients are engaged in high-intensity aerobic activities. A minimum of six feet of distance must be maintained among participants when not engaged in fitness and training activities.
Staff and participants to practice good hygiene including washing their hands frequently and covering their sneezes and coughs. Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after practice, especially after touching shared objects or blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains 60-95% alcohol content. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they are dry. Provide handwashing or hand sanitizing stations at training and contest locations. Reducing the use of locker rooms and showers is recommended. If use of locker rooms for changing is necessary, maximize ventilation and use tape, spots, or cones to signal 6 feet of distance for participants who need to change. If locker rooms are used cleaning protocols must be included in the facility safety plan. Limit occupancy of the locker rooms to avoid crowding.
Masks
Masks required for staff and participants at all times. Physical Distance A minimum of 6 feet of physical distance must be maintained between staff and clients at all times where possible. This distance should be increased when clients are engaged in high-intensity aerobic activities. A minimum of six feet of distance must be maintained among participants when not engaged in fitness and training activities.
Hygiene
Staff and participants to practice good hygiene including washing their hands frequently and covering their sneezes and coughs. Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after practice, especially after touching shared objects or blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains 60-95% alcohol content. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they are dry. Provide handwashing or hand sanitizing stations at training and contest locations. Reducing the use of locker rooms and showers is recommended. If use of locker rooms for changing is necessary, maximize ventilation and use tape, spots, or cones to signal 6 feet of distance for participants who need to change. If locker rooms are used cleaning protocols must be included in the facility safety plan. Limit occupancy of the locker rooms to avoid crowding.
Cleaning
Clean high touch surfaces and disinfect shared equipment before and after each use. Ensure restrooms are cleaned and disinfected regularly. Current CDC guidance for cleaning and disinfection for COVID-19 states that disinfectants should be registered by the EPA for use against the COVID-19. Find the current list here: List N: Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). Disinfectants based on hydrogen peroxide or alcohol are safer than harsher chemicals. The University of Washington has a handout with options for safer cleaning and disinfecting products that work well against COVID-19.Ventilation
Ventilation is important to have good indoor air quality. Ensure that ventilation systems operate properly. Increase air circulation and ventilation as much as possible by opening windows and doors. Offer more outside time, open windows often and adjust mechanical ventilation systems to bring in as much outside air as possible. Increase filters to MERV 13 if the HVAC can accommodate. Use of fans for cooling is acceptable. In indoor spaces, fans should only be used when windows or doors are open to the outdoors in order to circulate indoor and outdoor air. They should blow away from people. Outdoors locations are preferred to indoors locations, and should be utilized to the greatest extent possible to allow for maximum fresh air circulation and social distancing. Outdoor temporary structures may be used. Outdoor structures, in order to be considered outdoors, should have no more than two walls to provide appropriate ventilation; structures can have three walls if another opening exists that is large enough to create cross ventilation. For detailed guidelines please consult Open Air and Outdoor Seating requirements.Records and Contact Tracing
Keep contact information for staff and participants to assist with contact tracing in the event of a possible exposure. Contact information must be kept on file for 28 days after each class or use of the facilities.
Employees
Employers must specifically ensure operations follow the main Labor & Industries COVID-19 requirements to protect workers. COVID-19 workplace and safety requirements can be found here.