The Government has announced a six-month mortgage holiday for those whose incomes have been affected by Covid-19.
As we move to alert level 4 at 11.59pm on Wednesday, New Zealanders will no longer be able to use gyms and any other group fitness facilities across the country, for the next four weeks.
A number of gyms have already informed their members that they will be putting memberships on hold for the duration of the lockdown.
Anytime Fitness closed all gyms until further notice following the Government's announcement yesterday and informed its 40,000 members that all payments would be on hold for the duration of alert level 4.
Gyms are putting systems in place to ensure members can continue to work out. Photo / 123rf
"Our clubs are all independently owned so we have been supporting our franchisees through this rapidly changing situation so that they can navigate this change to their businesses and care for their staff," Anytime Fitness chief marketing officer Vanessa Parker told the Herald.
"Communication has been sent yesterday to advise members that their memberships will immediately be put on hold and no further payments will be made until further notice. Any lost time on their memberships will be extended to their term once we reopen," she added.
The gym has a free app that members can use for workouts at home and a Training Remote Coaching tool will be launched this week and offered free throughout this period, to paying members.
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"Anytime Fitness will also be sending regular workouts and wellness tips to our Anytime Fitness Community as we are immensely aware of the toll this unprecedented situation may have on both physical and mental wellness throughout our country," Parker added.
Club Physical also announced yesterday it was putting all memberships on hold until further notice.
The gym told members in a Facebook post that it was putting together a plan for online classes, including live yoga sessions through the lockdown period.
Very sad to announce what you probably already know, we need to close this afternoon. The Govt has set a level 3.
Your...
Jetts Fitness New Zealand has taken similar steps.
The gym emailed its members to let them know it will not be charging the cost of their membership while they remain closed.
All direct debit membership payments have been halted and all "paid in advance" membership types have also been put on hold. "Upon reopening we will extend your membership expiry date for the same period that we have had it paused," the company said in an email.
Jetts is also offering home workouts through its Jetts At Home platform.
Similarly, Les Mills has put all memberships on hold, although it will update members over the next 48 hours.
"There's so much that's happened in the last 24 hours - with the change to Level 3 yesterday we put all of our memberships on hold, stopping any billing, and will be letting members know more in the next 48 hours," Les Mills' Head of Club Operations Brett Sutton said.
"For anyone who wants to get their exercise fix at home for the next four weeks, we've already got Les Mills on Demand."
Earlier today, Consumer NZ head of research Jessica Wilson told the Herald if a gym could no longer provide its services to customers because of the virus, it should let anyone on fixed-term contracts put their membership on hold.
"We would also expect consideration for people in financial hardship, including letting them out of contracts entirely."
Customers on these contracts would be covered by both the Consumer Guarantees Act and Fair Trading Act.
If a business refused to budge, customers had the option of taking them to the Disputes Tribunal, Wilson said.
"For any contract where you paid for a service and that service can no longer be provided, the service provider needs to look at providing flexibility for customers and not charging them for a service they cannot provide."
New Zealand will enter alert level 4 at 11.59pm on Wednesday and begin a four-week lockdown period which will see a number of business closed until further notice, including restaurants, gyms and cinemas.
