Thursday, October 1, 2026
Rockville Centre gym owners are breathing a sigh of relief. The decision they have been anxiously awaiting finally came this week as Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that gyms throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties, along with the rest of the state, can reopen as soon as Aug. 24, following inspection by local authorities.
Fitness centers will be allowed to open at 33 percent capacity, and masks must be worn at all times, Cuomo said in a news briefing. The facilities will also have to perform health screenings; patrons will be required to use sign-in forms to help with potential contact tracing; and ventilation systems must be upgraded to help prevent the transmission of Covid-19. Closed since March, gyms are reopening as the state sees its lowest infection rate since the coronavirus pandemic began, 0.7 percent.
Cuomo said that gyms must be inspected, or be ready to be inspected, by local officials by Sept. 2. Localities will also determine whether gyms can resume indoor classes.
“Localities have a role here,” he said. “They have to inspect gyms before they open or within two weeks before they open.”
Cuomo added that the state's 0.7 percent infection rate is the lowest it's been since the pandemic began. “Congratulations to New Yorkers. New Yorkers did what everyone said couldn’t be done. Going forward we must protect the progress by keeping the infection rate down," he said.
Reopening preparations at Sportset Health and Fitness Club in Rockville Centre have been ongoing for the past five months, and owner Dennison Silvio said the club is prepared to welcome members back safely and in compliance with all health guidelines. In fact, he said, the club is “stronger and safer than ever,” with a comprehensive reopening plan that “exceeds industry standards.”
“I feel relieved that we’re finally reopening,” Silvio said. “We've been working hard to prepare and implement new and comprehensive sanitization and cleaning procedures to ensure the maximum safety of our staff and members.”
The club has been upgrading the facility in preparation for a safe reopening since its closure in March. Silvio said Sportset has taken measures to ensure less surface contact, including installing automatic door openers and hands-free sinks in the bathrooms, implementing contactless check-in and installing temperature scanners. Members must use the app and schedule an appointment to use the gym or sign up for group exercise classes. To maintain distance, Plexiglas barriers have been installed at the counters, and there are additional cardio rooms, with all equipment spaced six feet apart. Hand sanitizers are readily available and all spin bikes are sanitized before and after each class. Additionally, a professional cleaning company was hired to sanitize the club every night and ultraviolet light sanitizers have been installed to sanitize the air.
Sportset has been offering classes online since the spring and began offering outdoor classes in June, which are also livestreamed. Silvio said he expects the outdoor classes to do even better now that the facility will be reopened, and that he knows a portion of his members are just as eager to get back to the gym as he is to open it.
“Some people are anxious to come back and probably never would have stopped coming,” he said. “Others want to come back but are still not comfortable, and some, unfortunately, have moved on.”
