Valley gyms increase cleaning protocols in light of coronavirus

PHOENIX - It's another busy morning at the YMCA in downtown Phoenix. Throughout the state at all the Y facilities, more than 10,000 members pass through the doors daily to work out.

Now, the gym is stepping up what they do to make sure everything is clean.

"Making sure that our members our staff, our program participants stay safe is an extremely important priority for us at the Y," Katie Smetana said.

Smetana is the senior vice president of the Valley of the Sun YMCA. She says they've added some subtle changes, starting with signs that greet gym-goers as soon as they walk in the door.

The signs tell them to wipe everything down and to remember to wash their hands.

"We have gone back and looked at those weekly and daily cleaning protocols," Smetana said. "We are happy to say they are meeting the requirements with the CDC, so that makes us happy, but if we're not looking at a change and adjust figuring out ways we can do better, I think we are missing the boat."

For some members, like Omar -- he makes sure he's being a good gym citizen and wiping down everything he touches, but he says the virus isn't stopping him from working out.

"I do that all that time, I've been doing that since I've been coming here, so it's just habit," he said.

The Y has also upped the alcohol content in its hand sanitizer from 60 to 70%. Small changes, they say, will hopefully make a big difference in preventing the spread of any possible sickness.