CFNE Closes for Two Days After Coach Tori Dyson Tests COVID Positive
As cases continue to surge across the United States and gyms are forced to shut down under state and local mandates, well-known Boston metro based CrossFit New England closed in-person classes for two days when coach Tori Dyson tested positive for COVID-19.
- Out of an abundance of caution, owner Ben Bergeron moved all classes back online and ordered a thorough “professional cleaning” to sanitize the entire gym.
The details: Two weekends ago, CrossFit New England Coach, Tori Dyson, traveled to Nashville to visit Brooke Wells, Jessica Griffith, and Amanda Barnhart.
- When she got back, she underwent the required Massachusetts screening process when returning from a high-risk state and took a COVID test.
- The test came back negative and she returned to work and training as usual.
- On Wednesday, she began to feel sick, but wasn’t concerned due to her negative test and continued to go into the gym.
- This past Saturday, she was asked to go for another test, because someone she came into contact with in Nashville tested positive for COVID.
- Sunday morning, she received a positive test result.
- Aside from congestion and a loss of smell and taste, Dyson is doing well and is currently quarantining at home.
The state of play: Currently, the Boston metropolitan area has just under 35,000 COVID-19 cases as of today, while new daily records across the United States has brought the total to more 12.3 million nationwide. As a result of the recent surge, more and more gyms are being forced to close due to state and county-wide mandates.
- In November alone, John Hopkins reported 3 million additional cases of COVID while hospitalizations reached a record high.
- In Massachusetts, the New York Times reported an additional 2,695 cases just yesterday.
- Cases continue to rise in the Boston metropolitan area as the Boston Herald reported a 5.4% positive test rate this week.
- Currently, Natick, MA, where CFNE is located, is in “Step II of Phase III” of the Massachusetts reopening plan, meaning that gyms there can be open and operate at 50% capacity.
What happens now: After Dyson’s positive test, CrossFit New England immediately took action and reached out to coaches and members with whom Dyson had contact over the last week.
- CrossFit New England owner, Ben Bergeron, confirmed that the gym would shut down for 48 hours and all classes would be taught via Zoom so the gym could undergo professional cleaning.
- All coaches who had contact with Dyson are now quarantining and two staff members who were not in the gym last week will be covering classes.
- CrossFit New England’s 48-hour shutdown is in compliance with Massachusetts COVID policies to wait 24 hours after a positive test before cleaning and sanitizing the entire facility.
- The gym is also required to notify local health authorities to help with contact tracing efforts.
Why it matters: While this is just one example, it serves as a cautionary tale for gym owners, coaches, and members across the country. Dyson urged her video viewers to take COVID restrictions seriously and make sure they are following proper testing protocols.
- “The coronavirus is a real thing,” said Dyson, noting how sorry she was for the impact her positive test had on her gym and its members and coaches.
- “Wear a mask, wash your hands, and if you feel sick at all, don’t waste any time. Get tested and isolate until you know the results,” she advised her followers through an Instagram story.
“I would never wish the feeling that I have right now upon anybody, so just be safe,” she concluded.
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