Newport Beach’s OASIS senior fitness center is reopening, albeit at limited capacities
It’s time to get physical again at the OASIS senior fitness center in Newport Beach.
City officials announced earlier in October that the fitness center would be reopening, along with other city facilities such as community centers for classes and City Hall. City officials said that this does not apply to the whole of the OASIS Senior Center.
“The city of Newport Beach has been determined to keep our community healthy and engaged in physical activity throughout the pandemic and access to our parks and facilities has been top priority for their wellbeing,” said Laura Detweiler, the director of recreation and senior services for the city.
“We have kept our parks open and have promptly opened amenities like the fitness center as soon as guidelines have been published by the state and county with safety measures in place,” Detweiler said. “Our fitness center members have been eager to get back into the gym and our staff was prepared for when the time came to open.”
In July, the Newport Beach City Council approved several short-term rental reforms. At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, it will again be considering additional reforms to reduce neighborhood impacts.
The Orange County Health Care Agency on Friday reported a total of 1,167 cases and 25 deaths of COVID-19 in Newport Beach.
The fitness center will be reopening at a 10% capacity while Orange County remains in the red, second-most stringent tier for the state reopening guidelines. This means only six people will be allowed in the gym at a time, Detweiler said.
Gym users will need to make reservations before arriving and users are limited to three reservations a week for 45 minutes each.
Masks will be allowed to be removed while users are engaged in a workout on cardio machines, but otherwise will be required to enter or exit, use the restroom and move around the facility. Users will also be asked to social distance between equipment.
Staff will check for temperatures prior to entry and will clean equipment between reservations. Members are being asked to clean down machines before and after usage. Detweiler said that sharable equipment such as weights and exercise bands will not be available at this time. She added that all windows and doors will be open to introduce fresh air into the facility.
Staff will be required to undergo temperature and symptom checks. They will also be required to wear masks at all times in addition to increased hygiene requirements. The facility has also installed plexiglass along the counter of the front desk.
“Word has spread quickly among our members and they were elated to hear they could return to their gym,” Detweiler said. “Our staff has continued to work during the pandemic and were focused on many of our traditional social services to include meal delivery, transportation, wellness checks, virtual programming and much more.”
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