Victorians ‘suspending or not attending’ gyms amid Omicron outbreak

Gym operators have missed out on the traditional January boom because of the Omicron outbreak.

CEO of AUSactive, Barrie Elvish, says gym-goer numbers were “bouncing back really, really well” last year, but that’s changed since the latest COVID-19 wave began.

“People are suspending or not attending until they feel safe to go back,” he told Neil Mitchell.

But Mr Elvish says there’s no need to be excessively concerned about catching COVID-19 at the gym.

“We did some research and you were five-times more likely to pick up the virus in a hospitality or retail environment than in a gym,” he said.

“Group classes, spin cycles et cetera maybe need to take some extra caution, but if you’re just using free weights, that sort of stuff, there’s plenty of social distancing taking place.”

AUSactive is calling for gym staff to be classed as essential workers, and made eligible for new eased isolation requirements.

Press PLAY below to hear how Omicron is impacting gyms