Toronto Gym Takes Back Mandatory Vaccine Policy After It Was Called 'Premature & Divisive'

As places like Western University reveal their plans to make COVID-19 vaccines mandatory for students in residence, one Toronto gym is taking back a similar policy that they'd just recently announced.

The popular Yonge Street gym, Sweat and Tonic, said that their policy for guests and team members to provide proof of vaccination to work out indoors "resulted in the conclusion [it] was premature and divisive," according to a statement by the founder David Ingram.

"Our planned vaccination policy was going to require all indoor attendees, both team and guests, to provide proof of vaccination once indoor classes can resume in Stage 3 of Ontario's reopening plan. Effective immediately, we will be removing this vaccination policy and use the next few months to re-evaluate our reopening procedures," wrote Ingram.

"While most of the feedback we received from our community was positive, there were also team members that challenged our timing of a definitive decision -- and for that, we are grateful," he continued. "In a time where forced change is frequent, we unnecessarily added to the weight and stress of an already heavy time. For that, we sincerely apologize."

The province moves into step one of its reopening plan in mid-June, which will allow outdoor fitness classes of up to ten people to resume. Indoor sports facilities can reopen in step three of the plan when 70 to 80% of adults have received their first COVID-19 vaccine doses and 25% are fully vaccinated.