SoulCycle Studios and Equinox Clubs in NYC Will Soon Require Proof of Vaccination
All SoulCycle and Equinox club members and employees will be required to show proof of vaccination in order to enter its New York City locations, starting September 1.
New York City issued a similar mandate for all indoor entertainment, restaurants, and fitness centers, starting September 13.
Starting September 1, all members and employees of SoulCycle studios and Equinox clubs in New York City will have to present proof of vaccination in order to enter. The popular indoor cycling and fitness brand made the announcement on August 2.
And the rest of New York City isn’t far behind, since Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the very next day that patrons of restaurants, indoor entertainment, and gyms will also need to provide proof of vaccination starting September 13. Other major cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New Orleans are following similar protocol.
The move comes as the COVID-19 Delta variant—which is almost twice as contagious as the first strain and is now the predominant strain in the U.S.—has triggered a rapid new surge in case numbers and hospitalizations, even before entering the typical flu season. New York City’s current seven-day average of new cases has already reached levels seen in mid- to late April earlier this year.
“We have always made the health and safety of our communities our top priority, and we will continue to do so in partnership with infectious disease experts as well as local governments,” Harvey Spevak, Equinox Group executive chairman and managing partner, said in a press release. “We have a responsibility to take bold action and respond to changing circumstances with urgency. We encourage other leading brands to join us in this effort to best protect our communities.”
Equinox conducted a survey of its New York City members and employees and found that already 96 percent of its members (who responded) are vaccinated along with 89 percent of its employees—compared to New York City’s broader vaccination rate of 58 percent. Proof of vaccination will need to be shown only once.
“We are confident that the implementation of vaccination requirements is critical in safeguarding our community,” said Bradley A. Connor, M.D. and David Hamer, M.D. in the company’s press release.
Equinox has not yet required proof of vaccination at its other locations around the country, but hinted at the possibility in the announcement by saying it was “starting” in New York City.
Along with getting vaccinated, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently updated its guidance to recommend wearing a mask in public indoor spaces in areas of “substantial or high transmission,” even for those who are fully vaccinated. There was no word in Equinox’s press release on mask usage.
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