18 Aug 2021
More US cities announce health club vaccine mandates
BY Tom Walker
A number of US cities have begun announcing vaccine mandates for indoor facilities, including health clubs and fitness studios.
Earlier this month, New York City became the first to require proof of vaccination for a variety of indoor activities.
This was followed by Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and New Orleans issuing similar ordinances – a type of municipal by-law.
Since then dozens of other cities have revealed similar measures.
The mandates require people entering indoor health clubs to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19.
Some large companies – such as United Airlines and tech giant Google – have also issued similar mandates to their staff.
In early August, Equinox said it would be requiring customers and employees to provide proof of vaccine if they want to enter its Equinox clubs, SoulCycle studios and corporate offices.
The policy was introduced after a company-wide survey showed an overwhelming majority of members expressing support for requiring vaccines in order to access Equinox clubs.
If the trend spreads, it is likely to be an operational challenge for operators who do not have a tech set-up that is able to police this level of intervention.
It also raises issues for those who are unable to be vaccinated for medical reasons.
There are no signs at this stage of this trend extending beyond the litigious US, but HCM is keeping a watching brief and will report if similar restrictions are detected elsewhere.
If you're aware of proof of vaccination being mandatory for health clubs and studios anywhere else in the world, we'd appreciate you letting us know so we can update our reporting. You can contact us at [email protected]
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