Updated September 21
Our Number One Priority is Your Safety
Our number one priority is your safety as we welcome you back into our Y. Following guidance from the CDC and government officials, we have updated our policies, practices and procedures to ensure the highest standards of safety and cleanliness (see below) as members get back to focusing on their health and their community at the Y.
While we can’t predict the long-term effects of COVID-19, we are committed to doing whatever is necessary to ensure your safety. The way we’ll interact with each other will be different, but at the Y, you’ll always be able to connect with people, improve your health and wellness, nurture your children’s potential and help strengthen our community.
Health Screening
- All YMCA staff members have their temperature checked before entering our facilities.
- Individuals are asked to verbally affirm they meet screening requirements prior to utilizing the facility. These questions include:
- Do you have a fever 100.4 or higher?
- Have you recently had any respiratory infection, cough, shortness of breath and/or low-grade fever?
- In the previous 14 days, have you had any contact with someone with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19; is under investigation for COVID-19, or is ill with a respiratory illness? If yes, were you wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment?
- In the previous 14 days, have you traveled internationally to countries with widespread, sustained community transmission?
- To ensure we are able to safely follow social distancing guidelines as well as best accommodate our members, we have updated our guest policy effective Aug. 17, 2020. Please contact your local YMCA for details.
Face Coverings
- In Hillsborough County, all staff and members (ages 5+) are required to wear a face covering indoors while not exercising or participating in youth sports.
- In Pasco County, staff and members (ages 2+) are required to wear a face covering indoors while not exercising or participating in youth sports.
- Review our safety precautions for youth programming and youth sports.
Social Distancing
- With the help of floor markers and staggered equipment, staff and members are expected to maintain and encourage at least 6 feet of space from people not in the same household.
- Plexi-glass protective barriers and contact-free scanning systems are provided at member service areas for check-in.
- Group exercise classes have limited capacity and spots are available by reservation only.
- Lobby furniture, tables and seating throughout the facilities and pool furniture are spread out to promote social distancing.
- Select water fountains have disposable cups to use, and water fountains without cups are disabled. Water fountain bottle fillers are active and members are encouraged to bring their own bottles.
- Coffee service is suspended.
Cleaning and Disinfection
- The facility is cleaned and sanitized throughout the day. We have enhanced our cleaning and disinfecting procedures, focusing on high-touch points such as handrails, doorknobs, light switches, counters, etc. and using EPA-registered, virus-killing disinfectants.
- We have added extra hand sanitizing stations and cleaning supplies in addition to requiring members and staff to clean equipment between uses.
Hand and Respiratory Hygiene
- All staff and members are encouraged to practice good hand and respiratory hygiene by frequently washing hands and covering coughs and sneezes.
As more people begin to interact with one another across our community, the potential of coming into contact with someone who has COVID-19 is probable. We cannot stress how imperative it is for you to practice these preventative measures:
- Wear a face covering for your protection and the protection of others.
- Wash your hands and use antibacterial hand sanitizer frequently.
- Maintain 6 feet of distance between you and others.
- Keep casual interactions short and brief.
- Disinfect equipment before and after use.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with your hands.
- We recommend those with pre-existing health conditions to stay home.
Also, if you develop COVID-19 symptoms it is important that you stay home and avoid contact with others. These symptoms as defined by the CDC include fever in excess of 100.4 degrees, a cough, and/or shortness of breath. If you develop these symptoms you should call your healthcare provider.
We’re always adapting to meet the needs of our community
We’re committed to ensuring all people have access to the resources and support they need to reach their full potential. Everyone deserves a chance to thrive. We will continue to engage and serve all people where they are, including through virtual offerings and outreach services for those who continue to practice social distancing and those who need special support during these challenging times.
To help you stay active, healthy and connected in your own home, and on your own time, access free virtual fitness classes, youth and family activities, at-home resources for you and your family and helpful tips on how to safeguard our health. We will continuously update our virtual resources so be sure to check in regularly.
Together, we’re a better us
Thank you for staying with us while we were closed. Although we are back open, we want you to return at your own pace and when you feel comfortable. We care about you and your well-being. The Y is more than a gym…we are a community. We’ve missed you and are so happy to welcome you back.
Stay safe and healthy,
Your Tampa YMCA Leadership team
Frequently Asked Questions
Following suit with the City of Tampa, Hillsborough County and Pasco County’s mandatary mask ordinances, the Tampa YMCA made an association-wide decision to take all the necessary steps to help protect our members and staff and reduce their risk of contracting COVID-19. While we know this can be an inconvenience for some, we feel this measure, along with other protective measures already implemented, will make the Y as safe as possible for everyone’s enjoyment.
In Hillsborough County, we require all staff, members, program participants and guests (ages 5+) entering all of our YMCA facilities across Hillsborough County to wear a face covering in all common areas indoors where other members are present and whenever you are walking to and from the area where you will be working out. In Pasco County, in accordance with the county ordinance, the age requirement for masks is 2+.
As long as social distancing guidelines are followed, masks do not have to be worn during your workout or group exercise classes, during youth sports, on our pool decks or other outdoor recreational areas. However, we recommend wearing a mask whenever safely possible.
Yes, children ages 5 and over are required to wear a face covering indoors in our Stay & Play, Youth Zone, Kids’ Day Out, Parents’ Night Out and other youth programs. Parents/guardians are responsible for sending a mask with their child (we recommend two).
In line with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, people should continue to wear face coverings even after they are inoculated. The CDC recommends that those who are fully-vaccinated against COVID-19 (two weeks after their second dose on a 2-dose series or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine), should still take precautions in public places like wearing a mask, staying six feet apart from others and avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces. We are evaluating our safety measures on a weekly basis, taking into consideration recommendations and guidelines from the CDC, local health officials and government leaders. We will be sure to communicate any modifications to our safety protocols as we navigate through this pandemic together.
Hillsborough County updated their mandatory mask ordinance to include staff and guests of non-profit organizations that supply goods and services in inside areas accessible by the public. The YMCA is a unique nonprofit that brings together a high volume of people in our indoor wellness centers and summer camps. There is an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 in any place that engages the general public. The CDC recommends wearing a face covering in public places to help reduce the spread. We feel this is a small, temporary inconvenience to add another layer of protection for our members, program participants and staff.
We will make an exception for those for whom a face covering would cause impairment due to an existing health condition, however, we recommend those with pre-existing health conditions stay home.
We are going to do our best to teach our youngest members at the Y to wear a face covering to follow CDC recommendations to help limit the spread of COVID-19. We will work with you and your children to help teach them ways to reduce spreading germs. We suggest starting at home, making it fun for them and we will reinforce good hygiene, hand washing and face covering habits at the Y. This is an unprecedented situation and we will take it one day at a time, especially with our youngest members. We continue to work together with our families to protect their health and safety - throughout this pandemic and beyond.
We will follow suit with what local health and government leaders recommend.