GoodLife Fitness shuts down after employee tests positive for COVID-19

Barely two weeks after resuming operations under Stage 3 of Ontario's reopening plan, a popular gym in the GTA has closed its doors due to COVID-19.

GoodLife Fitness Brampton Gateway, located within Shoppers World Brampton at 499 Main Street South, abruptly shut down around 2 p.m. on Saturday afternoon after management learned that an employee had tested positive for the highly-infectious coronavirus.

"An associate who was last in our club on Tuesday, Aug. 11, has tested positive for COVID-19," said GoodLife Fitness VP of operations Tracy Matthews in a statement on Sunday.

"We have notified all members who were in the club at the same time as this associate, and we are working with Peel Region Public Health on the swift and appropriate response to this situation."

Interestingly enough, I am a member that has an email address and checked in during the same time as the individual. Seems a bit odd I know another 2 members personally that did not get a message either. I would appreciate seeing an improvement in your communcations....

— Kyle (@_neoneyes) August 16, 2020

The club will remain closed until 6 a.m. on Tuesday, August 18, according to a notice on the company's website.

"We apologize for the very short notice and any inconvenience this might cause," reads the notice. Adds Matthews: "GoodLife has taken tremendous strides to implement measures that are designed to decrease the risk of transmission in our Clubs, even if someone who tests positive for COVID-19 has been in our facility."

Ironically, the closure was implemented just hours after Ontario had raised the capacity limits for gyms amid the COVID-19 pandemic, from 50 patrons in total to 50 patrons per "indoor sport or fitness room."

GoodLife, which boasts the title of Canada's largest gym chain, reopened in the Toronto and Peel regions on July 31. Despite heavy and steady demand, this appears to be the first COVID-related closure to affect the company since that time.