The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

EVOLVE Functional Fitness’s owner is left scratching her head over how certain businesses are opening before others in the government’s measured reopening plan for the economy.

“When you see some of the things opening up before your business can open up, it is sort of discouraging,” said Tangerine Curry-Dinnick.

“I just find that some of things that they’re opening up before businesses are a little bit... I find them to be a little bit unfair because all business owners would love to start their establishments again.”

The gym owner explained she was “puzzled” and “taken aback by the phases” when it was first unveiled on Monday. The plan, presented by the prime minister in parliament, shows gyms operating in phase four while beaches and public parks would be open in phase three with social distancing with which Ms Curry-Dinnick also took.

“How is the opening up of the beaches with no tourists coming in gonna help our economy?” she asked.

“You know I’m a business owner and I’m not able to open until phase four when restaurants and hotels are allowed to open and that’s a little bit discouraging as a new business owner of only two years, you know.”

“I won’t be able to sustain the next couple months ‘cause our bills, my bills don’t stop. My overhead with my building – I have my electricity, my pool maintenance, my water bill because even though I’m not flushing toilets or using showers at this moment my pool still evaporates and refills. So, I’m still receiving water bills and not receiving any income to help pay for that.”

The timeline of each of the phases was another problem as she noted phase four may not happen until September.

She added: “It’s so hard right now because I know that they are doing the right thing by the health of our country but it’s so uncertain still even though they have these phases out. There’s no timeline to these phases because they're still unsure if we’re in surge or not.”

The unpredictability of the situation has left her wondering if people would be able to afford going to the gym. A stream of income was renting out the pool and a programme providing Physical Education for homeschooled students are no longer. Now, she is unable to teach the children until schools open again.

Ms Curry-Dinnick said she is aware that gyms are a luxury and are the last thing people will spend money on when they are not receiving an income and will comply with the rules.

She is trying to devise a plan which incorporates measures for social distancing such as lessening class sizes, customers wearing masks during workouts, and testing people for fever.