Shutdown: Club closures cause health setbacks

Closing health clubs risks long-term physical harm to many Washingtonians for no reason, since clubs are not a significant source of infection.

Those suffering illness or injury often need exercise as part of their recovery. In seniors, exercise combats senescence. All of them need health clubs.

Inslee’s closure order makes no exception for medical need. Many could find health setbacks from weeks of closure difficult if not impossible to overcome.

The Centers for Disease Control has not identified health clubs as a significant source of infection; only a fraction of a percent of cases reportedly come from clubs. Since capacity was reduced to 50%, reports of infection hot spots seldom if ever mention clubs.

Places that are not a significant source of infection, like health clubs and indeed restaurants, should be permitted to continue operating at 50% capacity as they have safely for the last few months.

This story was originally published December 2, 2020 at 8:43 AM with the headline "Shutdown: Club closures cause health setbacks."