NEW YMCA SAFE FOR YOU, SAFE FOR US PROTOCOLS

1. UPDATED MEMBERSHIP AGREEMENT: Please review the New Member Agreement, it includes updates on safety. For everyone’s safety, it is important that you read and follow the guidelines before you enter to a YMCA Branch or Program Center. We deeply appreciate your help in keeping the YMCA Safe for you and Safe for Us. The Agreement must be acknowledged and agreed to in the online pre-screening before entering a YMCA Branch or Program Center.
2. SCREENING & TEMPERATURE CHECK: For the safety of all, all members and program participants must complete an online pre-screening prior to entering a YMCA facility or program. In addition, everyone who enters a YMCA facility or program will complete their screening by having their temperature taken. Look for the Screening Station upon arrival – it is a fast and easy process that uses a touchless thermometer.
3. PRE-REGISTRATION: To help us maintain physical distancing, reservations will be required for most, if not all, activities for the foreseeable future. This includes Group Exercise classes, pool lap lanes and family swim times.
   • • Reserve your spot in a Group Exercise class before you arrive here.
     • Reserve your spot in our Fitness Centers.
     • Reserve your spot in our Indoor Pools.

1. FACILITY CAPACITY LIMITS: Because of guidelines around physical distancing, you can expect reduced capacity at our facilities and in our programs.
2. PHYSICAL DISTANCING: We will adhere to physical distancing requirements throughout our facilities and in our programs. We appreciate your help in keeping everyone safe.
3. FACILITY TIME LIMITS: There will be time limits for certain activities to allow others to access to our facilities, equipment and programs.
4. WEAR A FACE MASK: We will follow recommendations from the CDC and the Governor’s Orders, requiring all members and program participants to wear a face mask. Select activities (swimming, group exercise) will allow for the removal of the face mask once you’ve established physical distancing and when directed by a team member. Moving to and from these programs will still require face masks.
5. BRING YOUR OWN: Please bring a water bottle, towel, and mat if needed. Unfortunately, water fountains will not be available, but water bottle filling stations will remain open, so be sure to bring your bottle.
6. CLEAN YOUR EQUIPMENT: Please wipe down equipment before and after each use. Cleaning supplies are provided.  This is imperative for the safety of all.

A RECAP OF WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU VISIT THE Y

1. Face coverings are required to enter facility. Fashion friendly is a plus.
2. Temperatures will be taken upon entrance. We want to be sure you are not too hot.
3. Pre-Screening is required to gain entrance to the YMCA. Safety first!
4. Members must arrive 15 minutes before scheduled classes/pool usage for health screen and check-in…and we can’t wait to say hello!
5. Locker Rooms and showers will be temporarily closed. 
6. Towel service is temporarily unavailable.
7. Water fountains are bottle fill only. Don’t forget to take your water bottle home, lost and found is pretty full 😊.
8. Coffee services will be temporarily unavailable. Hit the Dunks (or Recreo) before or after.
9. Please use the fancy new reservation system for Group Exercise, Fitness Center and Lap Lane Swimming
10. Member access will be limited to one (1) hour to accommodate additional members while adhering to capacity limit. Thank you for reading this list!
11. For safety we have reconfigured our YMCA facilities and closed areas and equipment to ensure physical distancing. 
12. Sneeze shields have been installed at Welcome Center desks…just like at a salad bar.
13. We will have new traffic patterns to help limited points of entry and exit. So you don’t need to cross paths unnecessarily.  
14. Hot tubs, saunas and steam rooms temporarily closed. They were too hot.
15. Common seating areas temporarily closed. You are almost at the end of the list! Nice work!
16. Gymnasiums will be closed except for structured programs and classes.

WHAT THE Y IS DOING TO ENSURE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT

We follow guidance from the CDC, local health agencies and public officials to update our policies, practices and procedures to ensure the highest standards of cleanliness and hygiene and make appropriate accommodations for physical/social distancing. We work cooperatively with local health agencies and the Massachusetts Contact Tracing Collaborative to report COVID-19 exposures. The key measures we are taking to ensure a safe environment include:

• Limiting the number of people in our facilities and programs
• Safety Screenings for Members, Program Participants and Team Members
• Personal Protection Equipment for all Staff
• Sneeze Shields Installed at Front Desk
• Newly Configured Ys to Ensure Physical Distancing
• Limited Points of Entry & Exits
• Increased Cleaning & Disinfecting Protocols
• Following local health agencies and MA Contact Tracing Collaborative guidance in the event of a COVID-19 exposure

OUTDOOR GROUP EXERCISE PROTOCOLS

To ensure the best experience for everyone, please adhere to the following guidelines when you participate in YMCA programs – Safe for you, safe for us is the way to go!

• Reconfigured Group Exercise spaces and capacity to allow physical distancing. No problem 😊.
• Pre-registration required to ensure your spot in Group Exercise classes. 
• Use of floor markers in classes to designate participant positions. Now you know where to stand, just like Southwest Airlines. Ding.
• Members are asked to bring their own yoga mats, resistance bands, and props. Just like the water bottle comment above, don’t forget to bring these back home, lost and found is pretty full these days.
• Cardio machines will be spaced to allow distancing and must be cleaned before and after use. Plus more space for you…that is fun!
• Strength training equipment must be cleaned before and after use. This should always be the way at the YMCA, clean your sweat please 😊.
• YMCA GO will continue to offer Live and On-Demand classes and virtual personal training. It’s a sweet/awesome/cool platform, check it out if you have not seen it yet.