Dubai reopens gyms, restaurants after months of closure
Dubai, like many cities around the world, is trying to find a "new normal" as businesses reopen with restrictions.
Dubai residents can now move about freely from 6 a.m. until 11 p.m., according to a May 25 tweet by the Dubai Media Office. Gyms, restaurants and salons are reopening around the city.
“We were very happy to hear the news after three months of closure,” Nuno Costa, co-owner of Crank Fit gym, told Al-Monitor.
Yet the reopenings come with a list of conditions. Businesses can return at 50% of their normal capacity, and gym-goers will be required to wear masks at all times during light or moderate physical activity. Masks can be lowered for strenuous physical exercise, according to a government circular.
In Crank Fit’s ever-popular spin classes, Costa said, “There are two meters between bikes with clear plexiglass dividers.” In a pre-COVID-19 class there would be 43 riders; now there will be only 18. “Also, the disinfecting procedures at the gym are in full compliance with the government rules,” Costa added.
