Portland gym takes extra precautions, including requiring masks, as doors reopen Friday

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    PORTLAND, OR (KPTV) — Friday morning, Multnomah County is finally entering Phase 1 of reopening, and businesses are taking precautions to welcome customers back.

Muv Fitness is planning to open its southeast Portland location on Friday morning, after three months of being closed. Managers at the gym say they have increased stations for sanitization, marked off equipment and closed areas like the pool, saunas and group fitness areas.

“We are doing extra precautions to make sure that everyone, employees and members, are safe,” said General Manager Chanzy Patterson.

The gym also wants to make sure that members who come back know what’s expected of them to make sure that people stay safe.

“We do have a waiver, something we wanted to provide for them so they fully understand our expectations, which are mandatory wear a mask, have six feet of social distancing, make sure you wipe down your equipment before and after,” said Patterson.

If wearing a mask while working out sounds like a challenge, the gym says it will have employees who will clean as well as making sure members are safe.

“So they’re going around the gym, they’re really our floor monitors making sure are people safe, are they healthy, and if we are having any troubles with people wearing the mask and working out that haven’t done it before that we’re there for them and they know they can wave us down,” said Patterson.

With Multnomah County opening, Gov. Kate Brown says that starting Wednesday, everyone will have to wear a face-covering while inside a business. It’s still unclear if that will pertain to gyms and restaurants. Brown says she will provide clarity on this before the rule goes into effect.

Muv Fitness says that for now, it is a requirement at their gyms. That has received some mixed reactions, Patterson said.

But managers say they’re focused on moving forward and welcoming back fitness lovers this week.

“This next Friday, we are going to be extremely excited to open up these doors and see some members,” said Patterson.

Muv Fitness says team members will be regularly cleaning equipment and monitoring everyone on the floor to work out.

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