The Metropolitan Corona Coordination Group recommends extending the current restrictions for two weeks.
“Ah, oh no, ”the phone sounds.
Indoor Sports Park Superpark Country Manager Kirsi Ojankoski has just heard from the journalist about the two-week extension to the current restrictions proposed by the Metropolitan Corona Coordination Group.
“I would be lying if I said I didn’t think about this scenario in my mind. However, I would have wished from my heart that the restrictions would not be continued, ”says Ojankoski.
The Corona Coordination Group proposed on Monday an extension of the restrictions for two weeks after the current restrictions expire on January 10th.
Read more: Metropolitan corona group: current restrictions to be extended for two weeks
In practice, this would mean that gyms, indoor sports facilities, public saunas, swimming pool facilities, indoor swimming pools and spas, as well as other leisure facilities, would remain closed. Restrictions on the controlled recreational activities of children born in or after 2003 have not been restricted.
There is no formal decision yet to extend the restrictions. The decision on extending the restrictions will be made by the Regional State Administrative Agency of Southern Finland.
Of the year the beginning is typically the golden age of gyms and sports venues. This year, the redemption of New Year’s resolutions will have to wait as the coronavirus situation worsens.
CEO of Easy Fit and Lady Line gym chains Jyrki Hannula knows that a shutdown that will last almost the entire January is a cold ride on corporate cash flow.
“Yes, it will be a huge blow to us if the restrictions are extended for two weeks ahead. We should be on the high season right now, but more than 20 of the less than 50 gyms are closed. ”
The entire January sales will be below the line, which will be repeated as unpaid membership fees for the entire year. According to Hannula, 15–20 per cent of the year’s annual customers are usually sold during the year-end season.
“
“This hits the worst seam,” commented Sanna Himberg, CEO of Flamingo.
New Year’s Eve there is also a high season for places for children and young people as well as families, such as the Superpark and the spa Flamingo in Vantaa.
“This hits the worst seam,” commented Flamingo’s CEO Sanna Himberg.
Restrictions on school holidays will result in an estimated loss of income of hundreds of thousands of euros for the spa if the restrictions are continued.
“For a while, there was a perception that we were moving forward, and this came as a really big shock. It seems very unfair to have such a fast cycle and severely restrict entrepreneurship and business, ”says Himberg.
The spa has already had to lay off its staff, which had been resourced for high season peak hours. Of the spa’s activities, only the beauty salon may have been open during the closure, but its impact on the business is very small, according to Himberg.
“It seems unreasonable to have the doors closed when, at the same time, there are places where you can be completely unrestricted and the disease spreading.”
In the long run Closures also have an impact on companies’ ability to keep staff on payrolls.
The Easy Fit and Lady Line gyms operate mainly on a franchise basis, but the chain also has its own outlets. In total, the chains employ almost 500 people.
There was no desire to lay off employees before Christmas, but if the restrictions continue until the end of the month, layoffs cannot be avoided.
“Many entrepreneurs who operate all over Finland have to close their doors. This is a big deal, ”says Hannula.
Employees Coping is also in mind in Ojankoski.
“There have been closures and layoffs at this point in two years so often that it already makes it difficult for staff to engage and motivate.”
The indoor sports park has not yet had to lay off employees, but they have been instructed to perform intensive cleaning and maintenance of the parks for the future opening.
“But four weeks is a long time for intensive cleaning and maintenance,” says Ojankoski.
.
#Restrictions #big #deal #continuation #restrictions #Helsinki #metropolitan #area #drive #sports #venues #economic #despair
