Yoga studio in Delta shut down after claiming hot yoga fights coronavirus

A yoga studio in Delta was shut down on Thursday following complaints about the facility not following social-distancing rules amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Bikram Yoga Delta sent out an email this week to customers, claiming hot yoga can help prevent getting COVID-19.

“Fact – This supposed virus can not live in the heat,” said the message from the business, which also claimed the practice is the best way to boost one’s immune system to fight the flu.

In the same post, the studio criticized the global response to the ongoing pandemic.

“Due to the obvious drastic slowdown in attendance by everyone being paralyzed into a fear state of mind, we will be reducing classes until the worldwide non-sense subsides,” the post read.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has said hot yoga is a perfect place for the virus to spread.

The City of Delta’s bylaw enforcement unit said it received numerous complaints about the post. Bylaw officers originally visited the studio in the afternoon and found a class in progress.

The owner did not comply when asked to stop the class, the city said.

Using powers under the provincial state of emergency, bylaw inspectors visited the studio later in the day and suspended its business licence, cancelling the evening class and all other classes going forward.

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“The owner did co-operate and comply with the suspension, and the evening class was cancelled,” said Hugh Davies, the city’s manager of property use and compliance, said in a statement.

Delta North MLA Ravi Kahlon said he heard concerns from many constituents about the studio continuing to operate, and described its email to customers as “reckless”

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“Certainly we hope that warmer weather will slow the spread of this virus, but at this time there is no magic solution other then what is being recommended by our health-care professionals,” Kahlon said.

“Social distancing, washing hands regularly and avoid touching your face and self-quarantine if you have traveled or are not feeling well.”

Other false claims online say COVID-19 can be cured or prevented with the use of garlic and zinc, which B.C. health officials have also flatly refuted.

Health Minister Adrian Dix encourages people to stop following or block anyone spreading misinformation online.