Gyms, spas remain open in NCR Plus bubble unless LGU says otherwise

Gyms, fitness centers and spas will continue to operate at 50% to 75% capacity in the NCR Plus bubble unless the local government unit imposes further restrictions amid the resurgent COVID-19 spread, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Monday.

Roque was referring to the NCR Plus bubble policy which prevents residents of NCR, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal from going beyond the NCR plus borders unless it was an essential trip, including going to the work place from March 22 to April 4.

Gyms and fitness centers are allowed to operate at  75% capacity at the maximum, while spas can operate at 50% at the maximum, both in compliance of minimum public health standards.

“Tuloy po ang operation ng  gyms, fitness centers, spas sa NCR Plus, pero ito ay nakadepende rin sa lokal na pamahaalan, kung magbababa sila ng panibagong ordinansa na magsususpinde sa mga ito,” Roque said during a Palace briefing.

[Gyms, fitness centers and spas can still operate in NCR plus, but this will also depend on the LGUs where they are at, if these LGUs will issue an ordinance for further restrictions.]

Roque cited the case of Quezon City as an example of an LGU which shut down all operations of gyms, fitness centers and spas for the meantime amid the surge in COVID-19 cases.

Staycation within the NCR Plus bubble is also allowed but business and religious gathering of more than 10 peoples prohibited.

The Philippines has recorded a record-setting 8,019 new COVID-19 cases on March 22.

The record setting day followed three straight days of recording over 7,000 new COVID-19 cases per day.

The Philippines started its COVID-19 vaccination program last March 1, the last country to do so in Southeast Asia.

Since then, only 336,656 of 1,125,600 doses of COVID-19 vaccine supply from Sinovac and AstraZeneca have been administered so far. -NB, GMA News