COLUMBUS - YMCA CEO Corey Briggs said his gym was getting a lot of calls in April about when the facility would reopen.

“Like most people, we didn’t know how long the pandemic was going to last, which it still is lasting," Briggs said.  "We had initially given a date — the early part of April — and then we found out that it was pretty severe.”

There's good news for all who are chomping at the bit to get back to pumping iron: The gym will reopen on June 2, but with some protocols.

“There’s still a lot of activity and it still seems to be sort of a hot spot," Briggs said.  "So we’re starting out very restrictive, but we are going to watch that.”

Anyone who wants to use the facilities must sign a waiver and get screened by staff from Columbus Community Hospital.

Folks will be limited to one hour in the gym each day.  The number of people allowed will only be half the area's capacity, while some machines will be marked off limits.

All to make sure people can maintain social distance.

For that same reason, the pool and basketball courts will be closed for at least part of the summer.

The gym will also be reserved for seniors and those with health conditions from 1-3 p.m. every day.

"We’re going to be sanitizing heavily while we’re cleaning, but also we’re going to allow the senior citizens and then those who have the documented at-risk type medical conditions,” Briggs said.

The YMCA will also be closed on Sundays throughout the summer so staff can do a more thorough cleaning on those days.

Briggs said they will be following the government mandates and guidelines, so he just asks for everyone's patience.

For more information on the restrictions, visit: https://columbusy.org/covid-guidelines/