Even as the government has allowed gyms to open as part of Unlock 3.0, a survey by LocalCircles has revealed that only 6% citizens will go to the gym as they were going pre-COVID and 3% said they would go less frequently than pre-COVID. 32% said they will not be going at all.
This shows that only 9% citizens are willing to go back to the gym in the next 60 days and many feel they shouldn’t be reopened.
These findings were revealed in a survey conducted by LocalCircles, a community and social media platform.
On Wednesday, the government came out with the Unlock 3.0 guidelines, where gymnasiums and yoga institutes have been allowed to operate for the first time since March. However, cinema halls, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres, bars, auditoriums, assembly halls will continue to remain shut till August 31, 2020.
The survey also revealed that 32% respondents do not want to go to a theatre or multiplex to watch a movie in the next 2 months even if the government opens them. Only 3% said they would go many times while another 3% said they will go once or twice.
This means that only 6% citizens are willing to visit theatres or multiplexes in the next 60 days and majority feel that opening them is extremely risky, given the COVID-19 situation. Although cinema hall owners have been asking for the reopening of theatres with 50% seating capacity, concern remains about the air-conditioning inside theatres leading to spread of the virus from asymptomatic but infected individuals.
Another concern that global infection experts have outlined with regards to opening up of indoor public spaces is that of poor ventilation which holds true in this case. Most theatres and gymnasiums in India do not have adequate ventilation and could pose a major risk if they were opened, says LocalCircles.
Citizens were also asked if the metro/local trains are opened as a part of Unlock 3.0, will they be taking them in the next 60 days. Only 29% respondents answered in the affirmative while 63% said no.
However, international air travel of passengers and metro rail except as permitted by the Ministry of Home Affairs, will remain prohibited.
The survey garnered over 34,000 responses from 255 districts across India. 66% respondents were men while 34% respondents were women.