Losses vs Covid surge: Gym, mall owners split on latest restrictions

While most establishment heads expressed concern over the government’s decision, some said the move was inevitable given the surge in cases.

With the government shutting malls, gymnasiums, spas, and auditoriums and a further reduction in the capacity of cinema halls from 50% to 30%, owners of these establishments said they have been dealt a major blow even before they had a chance to recover from the distress of the nationwide lockdown. These curbs come into effect from Friday.

Gyms across the country were closed after the nationwide lockdown was imposed on March 25 last year to arrest the spread of Covid-19.

While most establishment heads expressed concern over the government’s decision, some said the move was inevitable given the surge in cases.

According to the fresh curbs announced by the Delhi government on Thursday, malls, gyms, spas, and auditoriums will be asked to remain shut until further orders. Owners of gyms—among the last to open after last year’s lockdown— said the Delhi government’s decision to close gyms again will hit business.

“This is like a lockdown for gyms and it will be a major blow to the industry that has been struggling after the lockdown last year. The industry, in Delhi, has suffered the longest compared to other states. Some of them will be forced to shut shop if the government does not intervene. We are planning to meet the chief minister at the earliest,” said Chirag Sethi, vice-president of Delhi Gyms Association.

Gyms across the country were closed after the nationwide lockdown was imposed on March 25 last year to arrest the spread of Covid-19. As the central government allowed states to take calls on reopening of certain sectors one after the other, starting June, several states allowed gyms to reopen by early-August. But Delhi, which witnessed phases of severe surge, allowed gyms to open only by mid-September – which means, the industry was out of work for nearly six months in the Capital.

“For six months, we had to incur all fixed costs such as rent, taxes, etc. We also paid salaries to our staff. But there was no revenue. We had to take loans to resume our business in September. The industry is under huge financial burden at this stage. We appeal to the government to rethink its strategies,” said Zoaib Rana, founder of Gravitaz gym in Ashok Vihar.

Vinay Sangwan, co-director of Anytime Fitness, a chain of gyms in Delhi-NCR, said: “Gyms have followed a long list of protocols to ensure safety of clients as well as employees. That is the reason why there is no case of gyms turning into hot spots anywhere. There have been no instances of violation of rules either. We understand the risks of the surge in Covid-19 cases but then a blanket ban on gyms should not be seen as the solution.”

Mall owners, too, said the closure was coming at a time when malls were only beginning to recover. “After last year’s lockdown, malls had started operations with great difficulty. Just when we were hoping to recover our losses, there is this fresh surge in cases. We understand the government is concerned. Covid is a bigger issue than anything else and we stand with the government. We will comply with all rules, regulations, and guidelines, despite the financial losses that we will have to bear,” said Vineet Parashar, head of operations, V3S mall and V3S East Center Mall, east Delhi

Unlike malls and gyms, multiplexes and theatres can operate at a reduced capacity.

Devang Sampat, CEO, Cinépolis India, said while they are yet to receive the formal orders detailing the curbs, they would abide by all guidelines. “We will follow all guidelines. Studies have shown theatres to be low-risk environments for the virus spread due to the double-height ceilings and a well-ventilated environment,” he said.