Victoria lockdown: Gym owners have ‘no chance’ as second wave hits – NEWS.com.au

Shattered Melbourne gym owners say they have no chance after being forced to shut for a second time.Victorian gyms and exercise studios were the last in Australia to reopen on June 22 after being forced to close in mid March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Now, just two and a half weeks after they reopened, gyms in Melbourne will have to shut from midnight tonight after Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews declared a six week lockdown.
The lockdown was declared after Melbourne saw an explosion in community cases of COVID-19 following an outbreak among security guards working in hotel quarantine.
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Bodytek Boutique Health and Fitness Club owners Adam and Emma Hrehoresin told Today they were “shattered” by the move.
Both had been unable to sleep after yesterday’s announcement that their gym, located in the Melbourne suburb of Sunshine, would have to close once again.
“We understand what the government have told us all to do, you know, we have to abide by what they have said,” Mr Hrehoresin said earlier today.
“It still hurts. 10 years we’ve worked and sacrificed 16 hour days, family businesses aren’t big corporations.
“We don’t have no backing, we’re the cleaners, the reception staff, the trainers in the gym, we’re everything … It’s just a massive kick in the guts.”
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Mrs Hrehoresin agreed, saying it was “gut-wrenching” to have your business “completely ripped out from underneath you for the second time”.
The couple said they would be once again moving their gym to virtual training sessions and would “give it all we’ve got” to survive.
“We won’t give up, we will stay positive and try to fight on,” Mr Hrehoresin said. “There’s nothing else we can do to be honest. We have to keep fighting.”
The couple said their revenue was already down 80 per cent compared to last financial year and they feared the lockdown could be “possibly longer” than the proposed six weeks.
“Last time we were told two to three weeks and we were closed for 13 weeks,” Mr Hrehoresin said.
“Gyms will be the last to open. We might be $80,000 down now, go for another 12 weeks. You have no chance.”
Meanwhile a fitness studio in Sydney has told members they cannot attend class for 14 days if they have “recently returned from Victoria”.
Sydney spin studio Cyclology requires all members to “check-in for each and every class to register any recent travel”, it said in an email sent on Tuesday.
“Our records indicate that we have had a number of clients who have travelled to Victoria,” the email read.
“We have been in contact with these clients and can confirm their travel occurred prior to the current outbreak, have no exposure and are well.”
The club said that if members “have recently returned from Victoria or are returning this evening (Tuesday) before the borders close we ask that you DO NOT RIDE for the next 14 days and adhere to self-isolation requirements from the State Government”.

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