Fitness centers threaten Bratislava blockage over continued closures

Fitness center owners in Slovakia threatened to block traffic heading into Bratislava on the D1 motorway Monday to protest the continuing ban on their businesses. "The reason is the ignoring of the current situation for 2,300 centers in Slovakia which create nearly 20,000 job opportunities," said Pavel Kisel of the Union of Slovak Fitness Centers. The group is demanding that its members be allowed to open for business or else it will call in at least 380 cars to make its point even more sharply. "Many of us are on the edge of bankruptcy, we've incurred enormous debts that will negatively influence the lives of thousands of families," he said, adding that members are willing to work with hygienic officials to find safe solutions. The Minister of Health Marek Krajčí insists that the centers are more dangerous than many other types of businesses taking place in enclosed spaces because of the heavy breathing that takes place during exercise and the potential for the spread of infected aerosols.