The YMCA will reopen Monday morning. Members must sign a waiver before exercising.
The first phase of the reopening of the Palisades-Malibu YMCA will take place on Monday, June 29.
Y Executive Director Jim Kirtley told Circling the News in a June 25 email, “We are excited to re-open your Palisades Y and bring back a greater sense of normalcy to our community.”
He explained that there will be some new protocols; for example, all registrations will be done via paperless methods.
“Members will have their temperature checked and wellness questions asked of them each time they enter the Y,” Kirtley said. “We have spaced out our equipment to allow for physical distancing. We are asking members to wipe down equipment before and after usages as well as having staff give gentle reminders of complying.”
He said that masks will be mandatory while walking throughout the Y and recommended while exercising, but not mandatory.
Group exercise classes will not resume during Phase 1 of reopening, but Kirtley said, “They will be back at some point.”
All members are required to sign the new membership waiver, which can be done online (ymcala.org) before visiting the gym.
“It will look a bit different when we re-open,” Kirtley said. “But we will still be your hometown Y and a place to see your friends.”
Metro YMCA also noted: “All facilities will be professionally cleaned and disinfected prior to opening and after closing each day, and we will be cleaning all high-touch and high-traffic areas regularly throughout the day.”
Water fountains will be closed, but no-touch water bottle filling stations will be available. Members are asked to wash or sanitize their hands upon entry and exit.
Capacity limitations will be enforced. Members are limited to 60-minute workouts to allow everyone a chance to exercise.
Kirtley said that to “maintain safe physical distancing, we are limiting our capacity to 20 members at any given time. We are launching a new app in early July so that members can reserve a workout time.”
During Phase 1, all group activities are closed, including group exercise classes, active older adults programing, and youth sports. Child activity center areas and group exercise rooms are closed.