New York & Minnesota Announce New COVID Restrictions, Curfew On Gyms

New York and Minnesota are among a wave of states implementing new restrictions as coronavirus cases surge across the United States. New York has implemented a curfew on gyms, though neither state’s restrictions appear to affect sports outside of that New York curfew.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced new restrictions this week, pointing out three main areas where he says the state has identified high numbers of new cases:

“If you look at where the cases are coming from, if you do the contact tracing, you’ll see they’re coming from three main areas: establishments where alcohol is served, gyms, and indoor gatherings at private homes,” Cuomo said, per the Governor’s website.

In response, Cuomo has ordered restaurants and bars to close their in-person services from 10 PM to 5 AM each day. Delivery and curbside pickup (without alcohol) can continue after 10 PM – the order only imposes that curfew on in-person service. Gyms in the state will also have to close at 10 PM statewide, which will affect pools connected to gyms or health clubs.

To address the gatherings, Cuomo’s order caps indoor and outdoor gatherings at private residences to just 10 people. The order very specifically notes that the 10-person limit is for gatherings “at private residences,” so organized swim practices don’t appear to be capped at 10 people.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced similar restrictions one day before Cuomo, pointing to similar outbreaks in alcohol-serving establishments and at private gatherings.

Minnesota will order bars and restaurants to shut down in-person dining between 10 PM and 4 AM, with seating capacity limited to 150 people or less (or 50% capacity if that’s smaller) during the permissible hours. Minnesota will also limit indoor and outdoor social gatherings to 10 people or less.

But the Star Tribune reports that sports in the state – including the high school boys swimming & diving season – will not be affected by the new restrictions.

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2Fat4Speed
3 years ago

I have been going to the gym at odd times when it is very empty. Normal hours will just be more crowded now…

Corn Pop
3 years ago

Have those rich ppl moved back to NY ?

coachymccoachface
Reply to  Corn Pop
3 years ago

No it’s all poor people in NY now. What a ridiculous question

Brian M
3 years ago

If you are really being objective about it (and accept the fact that COVID-19 is an aerosol) then gyms should never have been allowed to operate as is, if at all. It’s an absolute petri dish for viruses. Swimming, on the other hand is an excellent activity to allow to continue during this pandemic since (per the CDC) properly maintained pools will inactivate the virus. Who wouldn’t be on board with people taking a regular sodium hypochlorite bath?

DrSwimPhil
Reply to  Brian M
3 years ago

If you want to be objective, you have to show the actual data of locations of transmission. Objectively, gyms aren’t it.

Brian M
Reply to  DrSwimPhil
3 years ago

https://www.statnews.com/2020/11/10/restaurants-gyms-were-spring-superspreader-sites-occupancy-limits-could-control-spread/

Don’t know where your data is coming from, but seems like gyms are included in super spreader sites. Is that objective enough for you?

coco
3 years ago

How crowded are the gyms at 10:00?

DMSWIM
Reply to  coco
3 years ago

Yeah that seems like the safest time to go to the gym.

Hswimmer
3 years ago

Dumb and dumber

Hesus
3 years ago

Corona-virus is only contagious between 10 pm-5 am! Good news!

Last edited 3 years ago by Hesus
Sam B
Reply to  Hesus
3 years ago

it does seem counter productive. Like the 8PM curfew in Budapest, if you can’t go out for a run after 8PM, more people will be on the trails before that

About Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson swam for nearly twenty years. Then, Jared Anderson stopped swimming and started writing about swimming. He's not sick of swimming yet. Swimming might be sick of him, though. Jared was a YMCA and high school swimmer in northern Minnesota, and spent his college years swimming breaststroke and occasionally pretending …

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