Health Minister Yuli Edelstein and the head of Public Health Services at the Health Ministry, Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis invited representatives of the Gym Forum to a meeting Tuesday and came to an agreement on several key points.
These include a decision that the next sector to reopen will be the fitness industry. If there is another lockdown, the fitness industry will be the first to reopen. If the coronavirus cabinet should decide not to close the retail sector even if there are 2,500 infections per day — a milestone that has been specified in previous Health Ministry planning as a signal to close — the Health Ministry will ensure that the fitness industry will remain open as well.
In addition, the Health Ministry agreed that the fitness industry should be a major part of public health rehabilitation after the coronavirus crisis.
Stella Weinstein, chairwoman of the gym forum who attended the meeting said at the conclusion : “We are delighted that after 10 months the Health Minister has found the time to meet us and hear our demands. At the meeting, the health minister and the head of Public Health in the Health Ministry admitted to us that a mistake had been made with the fitness industry and that they intended to open it as soon as possible, under the outline we proposed to them."I sincerely hope that Health Minister Mr. Yuli Edelstein and Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis who understand the critical importance of the fitness industry for the health of the Israeli public, will keep their promise and open the industry at the first possible opportunity according to an agreement between us."
The Health Ministry emphasized that the fitness industry would reopen in green and yellow cities and that gyms would be required to obey a detailed list of safety recommendations.