‘Unfair’: Gym owners in Delhi to protest today near L-G’s office, demand reopening of fitness centres

Speaking to news agency PTI, Chirag Sethi, vice president of the Delhi Gym Association, said on Friday that gym owners have suffered the most during Covid-19.

Gym owners in Delhi will on Saturday protest near lieutenant governor Anil Baijal's office to demand the reopening of their establishments, which have been closed due to Covid-19 restrictions in the national capital.

There are around 5,500 gyms in Delhi and over 100,000 people earn their livelihoods from this industry. (Sanchit Khanna/HT file photo)

There are around 5,500 gyms and over 100,000 people earn their livelihoods from this industry.

Speaking to news agency PTI, Chirag Sethi, vice president of the Delhi Gym Association, said on Friday that gym owners have suffered the most during the ongoing pandemic.

“Cinema halls, multiplexes and banquet halls were shut along with gyms as a first step to curb the virus' spread in December. But yesterday, everything was open except for gyms and spas,” Sethi said.

He added that in the next DDMA meeting, authorities should allow gyms to reopen.

Pointing out that more than 100,000 people employed in various gyms across Delhi are being affected due to their closure, Sethi hit out at the government authorities by saying that health is never their priority.

Another gym owner told the news agency that fitness centres are shut despite following all Covid-19 norms, but there has been no action taken to prevent crowing at weekly markets.

According to the latest order issued by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Thursday, the weekend curfew has been scrapped, shops can remain open on all days of the week from 10am to 8pm and cinema halls, bars and restaurants can function at 50% of their seating capacity.

However, the DDMA has still not allowed the reopening of gyms in Delhi.

Meanwhile, the daily Covid-19 tally in Delhi continued a downward trend after 4,044 fresh infections were recorded on Friday, which took the caseload to 1,819,332. As many as 25 patients died and 8,042 recuperated in the 24-hour time span, according to Delhi government's health bulletin. With this, the total deaths and recoveries in Delhi stand at 25,769 and 1,764,411 respectively.