Greetings Annex Family,
This week Gov. Murphy announced that as of Tuesday, September 1st gyms will be allowed to open for indoor training. As we work to get our facility ready for reopening we are actively prepared to meet and exceed all guidelines set out by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to ensure the safety and health of our clients and staff. The following guidelines may be amended to adhere to any changes to the current guidelines set by the State of New Jersey or CDC. Please take the time to read completely to understand how our enhanced procedures and process changes impact you, our valued Annex family.
Thank you.
Please direct any questions, comments, and concerns to:
Mickey Brueckner
mickey@annexsportsperformance.com
Cell: 201.562.6260
TEMPERATURE CHECKS, NOTIFICATIONS AND WAIVER UPDATE
Members and our staff will have body temperatures taken prior to entering The Annex via touchless thermometers. Per CDC guidelines, individuals with a body temperature greater than 100.4 degrees will not be permitted entry. Members and our staff will also be required to check their oxygen saturation level prior to entering The Annex using a pulse oximeter. Individuals with an oxygen saturation reading below 94% will not be permitted entry and are encouraged to contact their doctor.
Members who experience any common COVID-19 symptoms are expected to reschedule their appointments and will not be charged a cancellation fee. If you are unfamiliar with symptoms of COVID-19, more information can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html
Members will be asked to alert an Annex staff member if they test positive for COVID-19 within 14 days of their last visit to The Annex. We will send email notification to all potentially exposed persons if there is a confirmed case of COVID-19 at The Annex and will keep personal information of all parties confidential.
Members and staff who have traveled internationally or who have come in close contact with someone who has traveled internationally to high-risk countries as identified by the CDC must wait for a period of 14 calendar days before returning to The Annex. Symptoms of the coronavirus become apparent in 2 to 14 calendar days and our goal at The Annex is to minimize the risk of exposing others to the virus.
If an Annex employee has any symptoms of COVID-19, including the above temperature readings, they will be required to stay at home until they are able to seek medical care. Their return to work status will then be determined by their medical professional. They are expected to follow normal practices of getting their sessions covered by another staff member and/or rescheduling. Proper notification and contact tracing will ensure if necessary.
All trainers and members, upon their initial return to The Annex, must fill out and complete an updated release of liability and waiver. This form can be completed electronically or in person. To receive an electronic waiver, contact mickey@annexsportsperformance.com or you can download and sign by following DOCUSIGN LINK HERE.
All Annex Members will be required to enter through the front door of the facility and exit through the back doors. Members will not be allowed to enter through the back garage doors. This allows us to screen individuals before they enter the gym, check in before sessions and classes and obtain a spray bottle and towel to ensure ongoing sanitization.
In order to gain access to The ANNEX, you MUST ANSWER NO to all of the below questions:
Within the last 10 days have you been diagnosed with COVID-19, had a test confirming you have the virus, or been advised to self-isolate or quarantine by your doctor or a public health official?
Have you had any one or more of the following symptoms today or within the past 24 hours, which is not new or not explained by another reason?
Fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, fatigue, headache, muscle/body aches, runny nose/congestion, new loss of taste or smell, or nausea, vomiting or diarrhea?
In the past 14 days, have you had close contact with an individual diagnosed with COVID-19?
LIMITED GYM CAPACITY
Adult group fitness classes will be capped at 10 people per class.
Youth Speed & Agility/Middle School Development classes will be capped at 8 athletes per session.
We will be managing our Semi-Private sessions with a maximum of four athletes per coach, instead of our typical five athletes.
We will be scheduling our Semi-Private sessions every 90 minutes and capping training sessions to 75 minutes. This will allow a buffer period of 15 minutes between sessions for each coach, to allow for proper sanitization of the equipment as well as to allow the coach time for hand washing.
SANITIZATION
Annex athletes will be asked to wash their hands upon entering the premises and use hand sanitizer frequently throughout their training visit. The hand sanitizer solution kills up to 99.9% of germs and includes 70% ethyl alcohol, above and beyond the CDC’s guidelines of 60%, with added Aloe vera and essential oils.
Annex members/athletes will be provided a spray bottle and terry cloth towel to be used after accessing each piece of equipment before and after use in addition to the club's cleaning protocols. Our disinfectant, approved by the EPA for use against COVID-19 and proven to kill 99.99% of bacteria, viruses & fungi on equipment while having the safest EPA Toxicity Rating. Disinfectant wipes will be available throughout the gym.
Weather permitting, Annex staff members will keep both garage doors open to allow maximum air circulation throughout the gym space.
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
All Annex members are expected to use cleaning solutions on machines and equipment before and after use.
All Annex members will be required to wear a mask during training sessions. Staff will be provided with masks and will be required to wear them during training sessions and throughout each day. If you do not have a mask, we can provide you with one free of charge. Gloves are available upon request as well.
For our adult classes and athletes, if you do not wish to wear a mask you may still train outdoors (weather permitting).
CLEANING PROTOCOLS AND DISINFECTION PROCEDURES
In addition to our existing continuous cleaning protocols, we will add in cleaning after sessions and throughout the day to ensure cleanliness of the facility.
Medical-grade, EPA-registered disinfectants which are designated effective against the COVID19 virus with a kill time of less than one minute will be used for all continuous and deep cleaning processes.
LOCKER/LAVATORY ROOM ETIQUETTE
It is imperative that while in the locker rooms that we maintain social distancing practices. Disinfectant wipes will be provided in each locker room. Everyone is expected to wipe down all surfaces before and after use, including the handles of the sink, shower, toilet, stall door, and locker door.
Showers will be closed upon the reopening of the facility. We will keep you posted once these facilities are made available to members.
TRAINING FLOOR ETIQUETTE
Fortunately for us at The Annex, we have plenty of space to create physical distancing between members and trainers. Gym equipment has been relocated within the facility to ensure distancing practices.
For our group fitness classes, we will be creating seperate “pods” for each client to work in. Each pod measures a minimum of 500 square feet to ensure physical distancing between client and trainer and will be equipped with the necessary equipment to conduct the training session. Members are expected to remain within their given pod whenever possible. If the session requires equipment from another location in the gym, the coach is responsible to ensure the additional equipment is sanitary and that proper physical distancing standards are being met. Coaches will remain six feet away from clients and all cueing and corrections will be done verbally. Exceptions may occur to ensure athletes safety.
Our focus will be to maintain responsible and safe behavioral practices. We have all had to make significant behavioral changes to reduce the spread of COVID-19. To reopen The Annex, our community will need to continue these important lifestyle practices:
Social distancing (specifically, staying 6 feet away from others when you must go into a shared space)
Frequently washing hands or use alcohol-based (at least 60% alcohol) hand sanitizer when soap and water are not available
Wearing cloth face coverings
Avoiding touching eyes, nose, and mouth
Staying home when sick
Cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces
MEMBERSHIP AND SCHEDULING
For all individuals participating in our AnnexFit classes and Youth Speed & Agility classes and Middle School Development workouts, you MUST sign in via Mindbody the night prior to each session. This will ensure we are adhering to our class capacity. Those individuals who have not reserved their spot on Mindbody will not be allowed into the classes. NO EXCEPTIONS.
If you have not already done so please download the Annex APP for scheduling and class check ins:
We are extremely excited to welcome everyone back to The Annex. The guidelines mentioned above are our best effort to ensure a safe and healthy environment for all clients and staff. More information on COVID-19 can be found here:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
As changes to policies and procedures occur, we will keep you informed. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us with any questions, comments, or concerns. Your support and cooperation is greatly appreciated.
All the best,
MTB
Mickey Brueckner
mickey@annexsportsperformance.com
Cell: 201.562.6260