TORONTO – The provincial government moved to relax restrictions on sports and fitness facilities Friday, announcing 50-person limits would apply on a per-room, rather than per-facility, basis.
Facilities including gyms, health clubs, arenas, and yoga and dance studios will be able to take advantage of the loosened rules only if rooms are large enough to allow for minimum distancing of two metres between patrons, the government said.
The change officially went into effect Saturday, after an announcement the previous afternoon by Premier Doug Ford and Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries Lisa MacLeod.
The premier framed the new policy as a reprieve for small business.
"Many of our gyms and fitness centres are owned and operated by small business owners and they are struggling," he said. "To help them get back on their feet and hire back staff, we are making these changes so they can serve more people.”
