West Kelowna gym joins revolt, vows to stay open despite restrictions
Another gym in the Thompson-Okanagan is keeping its doors open in defiance of public health orders. Iron Energy Gym in West Kelowna is allowing its members a place to stay on their workout schedules, while encouraging them to keep their phones on hand and record any authority that...
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Another gym in the Thompson-Okanagan is keeping its doors open in defiance of public health orders.
Iron Energy Gym in West Kelowna is allowing its members a place to stay on their workout schedules, while encouraging them to keep their phones on hand and record any authority that shows up to "shut (them) down."
The announcement was made to the gym's social media page today, Jan. 3.
"If anyone shows up at our gym and tries to shut us down, we want it blasted all over the internet," the social media post reads.
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Iron Energy management did not respond to calls from iNFOnews.ca, but the gym posted a video on Dec. 31 where members spoke about how the gym is beneficial to not only their physical health, but also their mental health.
The B.C. Ministry of Health ordered gyms to close on Dec. 21 in an effort to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 and the rapidly spreading omicron variant.
However, the restrictions weren't limited to just fitness centres. They also include closures of nightclubs and reduced capacity for indoor events.
Iron Energy Gym joins a number of other fitness centres in the region that are choosing to keep their doors open, in defiance to public health orders.
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No Limits Fitness and Ladies Only Fitness are two Kamloops gyms that have chosen to also keep their doors open. Gold's Gym initially stayed open, but later posted a notice to social media announcing their temporary closure.
"We were hopeful that (the Ministry of Health) and (Interior Health) would consider an updated COVID plan that would allow us to continue operating. Despite having no in-club COVID transmission, we are sad to announce that no club-specific exception will be made at this time," the notice to social media reads.
As of Dec. 26, Gold's Gym in Kamloops closed until public health orders will allow fitness centres to reopen.
iNFOnews.ca reached out to Interior Health, but a spokesperson was not available to comment.
In the past three weeks, there have been about 200 people in B.C. hospitals with COVID-19 with one-third of those in intensive care.
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Over 4,000 new cases were reported in B.C. on Dec. 30, a new record for the province.
“If you have 4,000 people and one per cent are hospitalized that’s a lot more cases than when we had 400 people and one per cent hospitalized,” Dr. Bonnie Henry said. “I don’t know anybody who doesn’t know somebody who’s had it recently. That’s a reflection of the virus changing.”
Dr. Henry, public health officer for B.C., and Minister of Health Adrian Dix are expected to provide an update at a press conference tomorrow, Jan. 4.
— With notes from Rob Munro.
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