The Patrick Henry Hays Senior Citizens Center will reopen in a limited capacity for members July 13, city officials said.
The North Little Rock Senior Citizens Commission approved June 15 a reopening plan that includes a two-week pilot program, with a capacity limit of 50 members at a time in the 60,000-square-foot building at 401 W. Pershing Blvd.
North Little Rock closed all community centers, adult fitness centers and the Hays Senior Citizens Center on March 12 in an attempt to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
For the first two weeks, only fitness machines and the aerobics and lap pools will be available at the Hays Senior Citizens Center, Director Bernadette Gunn Rhodes said Wednesday in a news release. Pool occupancy will be limited to 13 in the aerobics pool and to three in the lap pool.
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Face masks will be required inside the building except when actively exercising, Rhodes said.
Group activities and classes will resume on a case-by-case basis after the two-week pilot period, depending on capacity and instructor availability.
"Once we have that experience under our belts we hope to gradually resume additional activities that our members have grown to love, like crafts, ball sports, and aerobics classes," Rhodes said.
The center will follow Arkansas Department of Health guidelines for fitness centers, which will include member and staff temperature and symptom screenings, physical distancing and frequent disinfecting. The center also will add health guards to its staff to ensure safety guidelines are followed.