Mayor Lifts Ban On Fitness Centers, Yoga Studios In Highland Park

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — Fitness businesses in Highland Park, including dance and yoga studios, may reopen to the public Saturday after Mayor Nancy Rotering lifted an COVID-19 emergency order that required their closure.

“Thank you to Highland Park residents and business owners for their diligence in following public health guidance to keep themselves and others healthy," Rotering said in a statement. "While we remain under Tier 3 statewide mitigations, lifting this local restriction is possible due to our collective sacrifices."

Highland Park's fitness center ban began 16 days earlier, taking effect the same week as statewide "Tier 3" coronavirus mitigations that cut gym capacity to 25 percent and banned indoor group classes.

That meant state rules continued to permit patrons in the building for one-on-one classes and solo workouts over the past two weeks, but only management and staff were allowed in Highland Park businesses.

City officials pointed to a reduction in new coronavirus cases in Highland Park over the past two weeks to justify the lifting of the order. On Nov. 15, two days before the city's gyms were ordered shuttered, the city's seven-day rolling average of new cases hit 54.8 per 100,000 residents.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers incidence rates above 50 to indicate a high risk of community transmission. As of Wednesday, the rate had dropped to 32.2 per 100,000, into the "moderate" range.

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City staff pointed to measures taken so far this year aimed at alleviating the economic devastation the pandemic has wrought on local small businesses. They include waiving next year's registration and licensing fees, creating a new grant program and launching promotional campaigns to push residents to patronize local businesses during the holiday season.

Rotering has the authority to order the closure of any business, impose a curfew — or do anything else "reasonably necessary to address the civil emergency and protect life and property" during the city's ongoing state of emergency, according to its code.

Initially, her supplemental order shuttering gyms had been set to remain in place for 30 days. The City Council is due to next meet on Dec. 14 and again extend its emergency declaration.

“As the pandemic is not over," the mayor said, "we must continue to do our part to reduce community spread of COVID-19: avoid gatherings with people from other households, wear a mask indoors where required and outdoors when social distancing is not possible, keep a safe distance from others and wash hands frequently.”