Denver Climbing Gym Owner Calls On Leaders To 'Use The Data'
DENVER (CBS4) - Denver is tightening the rules for gyms to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. It's moving to Level 3 of the Safer at Home Order. Gyms can operate under 25% capacity or with 25 people, whichever is fewer.
Fifteen-year-old Finn Phillips is on a youth climbing team at Ubergrippen Indoor Climbing Gym in Denver. It's been his only physical outlet during quarantine.
"It's a good place to see people in a safe way," Phillips told CBS4's Andrea Flores. "A lot of kids, they're not in school, and even though we are socially distancing, the gym is a good place to sort of interact with other people and exert energy and not be in the house all day doing school work."
This form of exercise is at risk after a Stay at Home Level 3 order announced Tuesday by the city and county Denver. Tuesday night, Mayor Michael Hancock announced gyms can only operate at 25% capacity or with 25 people.
"If we have to limit ourselves to 25 total occupancies in our building, that's one person per 800 square feet and it's going to be a ghost town in there," said Ubergrippen owner Jake Crine.
Crine says the new mandate is overly restrictive in his 20,000 square foot facility. He's encouraging city officials to reconsider.
"There's a lot of places where we're seeing outbreaks... the data does not support the need to be so restrictive on gyms. It's just not there," Crine said. "Use the data to guide your decisions."
For now, climbers like Finn are enjoying the gym while they still can.
"I hope they don't close it down," Finn said.
