Bowling association head talks new protocols as bowling centers reopen
Bowling centers are advised to keep an empty lane between groups.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp announced in late April that bowling centers could begin to open. As several other states have allowed these centers to reopen, one industry head says new measures will be implemented to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
“Bowling centers are staples in our community, they're tried and true and trusted by our customers,” Jim Decker, president-elect of the Bowling Propietor’s Association of America, told ABC News' "Pandemic: What You Need to Know." “Changes in our practices will be social distancing and rigorous cleaning protocols.”
The BPAA has listed “best practices" for its members, which include keeping a “dark” lane between groups to maintain social distancing, limiting the centers' overall hours so that they can be cleaned, booking lanes only through reservations, making hand sanitation stations available, as providing guidelines for how often balls and shoes must be sanitized.
"We have 3,400 member centers in the nation and so they have a resource guide and we get daily updates on the best protocols to run our businesses safely," Decker said.
Decker is also the owner of Double Decker Lanes in Rohnert Park, California.
“It's a challenge… We're learning how to control our ongoing costs of being closed. We have no cash flow,” Decker said. “We're coming up with the best way to open our center when we do reopen safely, you know, having safety for our customers and our employees.”
Other states that have allowed bowling centers to reopen include Nebraska, Missouri and Tennessee.
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