Peloton doesn’t stop with live classes – and now an employee has tested positive for COVID-19

An employee of the Peloton production studio in New York City tested positive for COVID-19, the company said in a Facebook post to members on Friday evening. The studio will be temporarily closed for cleaning, although the report says that production will resume on Tuesday April 6 with “a skeleton crew.”

The employee is now self-insulating. Everyone they came into contact with is quarantined.

While many affiliate fitness companies have ceased production of live training classes following government contracts to close nonessential companies, Peloton continued to broadcast live classes daily – with anywhere from two to five new cycling and running classes a day despite pleas from some Peloton subscribers for the company to completely stop filming. After New York Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered nonessential companies to close in mid-March, Peloton said it would continue to operate on a limited schedule, with up to two instructors a day in the studio and filming as a ‘closed set’ without a live in-studio audience.

Peloton’s answer is not enough, some subscribers say. They still urge the company to stop filming until the blockade is lifted by New York State. “Just stop fucking. This is ridiculous. You are at ground zero. There is no way to protect them, ‘said Peloton member Katrina P. on Peloton’s official Facebook page. “It’s not worth it. Let them stay at home. A lot of content is available to us on request,” added another user.

Peloton has been filming live lessons since its launch in 2014 and makes thousands of its videos available on demand alongside live content.

Yesterday, Peloton posted a letter to customers that it was take extra precautions for the safety of the live production crew and instructors, including cleaning the studio after each lesson and sending private cars to pick up and drop off the crew needed to film a lesson. It also said it would disinfect the cars after every ride.