Fresno-area gym chain will close after all, after trying to stay open during pandemic

UPDATE: GB3 owner George Brown contacted The Bee on Wednesday afternoon and said all five George Brown Fitness locations in the Fresno area will close until the end of the month.

The gym’s closure is in conjunction with the City of Fresno’s “shelter in place” order for residents to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus.

GB3 facilities will remain open until 11 p.m. Wednesday.

“We’ve been trying to be as proactive as fast as we can,” Brown said. “We were getting a lot of mixed information. I spoke with the mayor (Lee Brand). We want to do the right thing. We’re just trying to keep everybody safe.”

ORIGINAL STORY: Amid school closures, bar shutdowns, and restaurants limited to takeout services, one local gym chain has elected to remain open amid coronavirus concerns.

George Brown’s Sports Clubs — more popularly known as GB3 — said it will stay open unless state or city officials mandated they close. There are five GB3 locations in the Fresno/Clovis area.

“Due to COVID-19, we have increased the frequency of cleaning on a daily basis,” GB3 posted on its website. “We have added Clorox dispensers at each gym so members, if they feel the need, can sanitize the equipment they are using.

“We are taking every precaution that we can at this time to help keep our members and staff safe.”

A message for owner George Brown was left Wednesday morning seeking comment.

GB3 did announce Monday it was canceling aerobic classes until further notice.

GB3 daycares also were set to close starting Friday, except for their gym locations at Palm and Nees avenues, and Fowler and Herndon avenues.

“We are open!” personal trainer Brandon Lucas posted Monday on the GB3 Fowler-Herndon location’s Facebook page. “(GB3) is taking the highest precautions of cleanliness.

“Don’t call us stupid. Don’t call us ignorant. We are just trying to keep our immune systems, hearts, muscles, and minds in shape.”

Though coronavirus concerns have shut down several schools locally, some on social media expressed excitement and relief that GB3 still was open.

And the gyms appeared to remain busy this week.

Around midnight Tuesday, approximately 60 cars still were in the parking lot at the GB3 Milburn and Herndon location, which operates 24 hours Monday through Thursday.

Governor’s recommendation

Following Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recommendation, several other gyms in the Fresno/Clovis area have temporarily shut down — including Gold’s Gym and Orangetheory fitness on Monday, and Planet Fitness as of Wednesday.

In addition to bars closing and restaurants doing away with in-dining services for the time being, Newsom urged movie theaters and gyms across California to close to help limit the spread of the coronavirus.

In Fresno County as of Tuesday, there were two confirmed cases of COVID-19.

President Donald Trump announced Monday that Americans help limit the transmission of the coronavirus by practicing social distancing and having no more than 10 people in once place.

Are gyms safe from COVID-19?

Popular gyms often have several people working out in close proximity to each other, which would go against the 6-feet social distancing rule.

So is it still safe to work out at public gyms during the COVID-19 outbreak?

Dr. Michael Ison, an infectious disease physician at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, told NBC’s TODAY show that it is OK for healthy, younger people who have no symptoms and live in areas where there’s no widespread disease to go to the gym.

But they should use extra caution.

“You have lots of people coming and using shared equipment,” Ison said. “When you work out, you often are rubbing your face and nose to get the sweat off and then touching the handlebars. That would be a great way for someone to potentially share the virus.”

Amesh Adalja, M.D., an infectious disease physician and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security, told Consumer Reports that the coronavirus is not found in sweat.

But the coronavirus can spread when people cough or sneeze, and respiratory droplets land on those nearby.

How coronavirus can spread at a gym

“Heavy breathing during exercise won’t shed the virus,” Manish Trivedi, M.D., director of the division of infectious diseases and chairman of infection prevention and control at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center in New Jersey, told Consumers Report. “It’s coughing or sneezing (onto others or onto nearby exercise equipment) that we’re concerned about.”

Respiratory droplets can spread up to six feet, which is why public health officials recommend putting that distance between yourself and others, especially in public places.

Gym equipment that’s touched frequently, including exercise machines and dumbbells, could potentially serve as a reservoir for viruses and other germs.

Especially when people cough into their hands then use the equipment.

For maximum social distancing, the safest way to exercise might be working out at home.

A message to the young and healthy

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government’s top infectious disease expert, specifically urge young people to help reduce the spreading of the novel coronavirus.

“When I was young, I felt that I was invulnerable the way many of us feel that we’re invulnerable,” Fauci said. “Don’t get the attitude: ‘Well, I’m young. I’m invulnerable.’”

“What you might inadvertently do. And I know you don’t want to do that. You don’t want to put your loved ones at risk. Particularly, the ones who are elderly and the ones who have compromised conditions.

“We can’t do this without the young people cooperating.”

This story was originally published March 18, 2020 at 8:12 AM.