Today, the Coalition des Centres d’activités physiques du Québec—representing some 200 gyms and sports centres in the province—has announced that will not be opening their doors in defiance of public health mandates from the Quebec government.
The original plan was to open, as was announced on October 26 in a press release. "On October 29, we will be opening our gyms in all regions of Quebec in order to once again," the release originally stated. This was done in the face of the government's extension of the original red zone restrictions that were meant to last from October 1 to October 28, but were extended another four weeks until November 23.
They've since walked back that decision, according to a report from the Montreal Gazette, in the face of Premier François Legault's insistence that fines would be being given to both proprietors and clients who defied public health.
Instead, demonstrations are being planned, and the coalition is inviting their clients instead "to a 'health' protest in front of our facilities" tomorrow at 8:30am, as per the latest release from the organization.
"This peaceful protest, in accordance with the rules in place, will be the first step in a movement that we want to see grow," the release went on to state. It's being done so "the Legault government realizes that it cannot govern only for COVID-19, but that it must do (something) for the physical and mental health of 8.5 million people."
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