Even though competitor GoodLife has now temporarily ceased operations due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Toronto gym chain Hone Fitness has decided to remain open.
The popular no-contract budget facility received ample backlash after announcing via social media on March 15 that all its locations would remain open despite coronavirus fears and recent warnings against large gatherings and public spaces.
As a result, the company deleted the post in question and decided to shutter after all.
Then, on March 16, the Hone team changed its mind once again and stated that all its gyms would be opening to the public at 1 p.m.— a move made in response to a provincial press conference in which Doug Ford said that Ontario had not yet reached the stage of ordering non-essential businesses to close their doors to the public.
That announcement came just hours before the recommendation from Toronto's medical officer of health for businesses like bars and restaurants to shut down so that residents can practice social distancing and curb community spread of the virus.
Though Hone has cancelled group classes, ramped up cleaning measures, limited its opening hours and added sanitization stations and relevant signage throughout each of its gyms, it is still receiving flack for proudly staying open. Comments on its latest Instagram post about the news have been turned off.
The gym is also apparently refusing to allow customers to put their memberships on hold amid the global pandemic, though other fitness hubs are doing so.
asked @honefitness about pausing memberships because they closed the locations also because i don’t wanna go to the gym while all this is happening. got this reply pic.twitter.com/6SA77tE0sj
— ً (@hotrocker420) March 16, 2020
Hone has seven locations across the city, including at Queen and Bathurst, Queen and Spadina and Bloor and Christie.
by Becky Robertson via blogTO
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