New Jersey Allows Yoga Studios To Reopen, But Guidelines Affecting Businesses Differently
NEW JERSEY (CBSNewYork) - Yoga and pilates studios are back open in New Jersey after being shut down for months.
That's good news for some, but bad for others, CBS2's Cory James reported.
It's a sign of new and old times: sweat dripping down the faces of yoga participants, finally getting reacquainted with their mats in boiling, 95-degree room.
Tamar Tosun, who owns Real Hot Yoga in Hoboken, said she was more than ready to get back to business after being shut down since March.
"We're really excited that we're here," she said.
Gov. Phil Murphy announced Wednesday yoga and pilates studios could reopen at 25% capacity.
"We have all these stickers ... 'Namast'ay six feet away.' We have the temperature checks," she said.
Tosun said to meet the state's requirements, she's only allowed to have about 11 people in her room for classes.
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Twenty miles away, in Fairlawn, Escape Fitness Now gym is still closed.
Joe Taggart, the owner, said he can only be open for one-on-one training sessions, even though he claims to have enough space for social distancing.
"We definitely thought it was unfair," said Taggart. "So as a financial standpoint, we're definitely seeing a big hit."
Taggart is doing the best he can with Zoom classes and private sessions to stay afloat.
"We're a day closer to making it, and we're a day closer to closing," he said.
"I really feel that they can do it better than a lot of the businesses that have been opened for a long time now," Tosun said.
Murphy said the timing isn't right to reopen gyms further.