A number of states and cities, including New York, Boston and Chicago, have implemented mask advisories and vaccine mandates for indoor activities including gyms to protect people from what is now the dominant variant of the coronavirus in the U.S. The new restrictions are setbacks for an industry that had just started to see foot traffic and leasing activity recover from the deep losses inflicted by the pandemic.

Fitness-center leasing increased 27% in the third quarter compared with the same period in 2020, according to data firm CoStar Group Inc.

Gym popularity, sharply down for much of the pandemic, has been recovering in recent months and that momentum appears to be withstanding fears about the Omicron variant. Gym visits during the last week of November and first two weeks of December were above 2019 levels, according to foot-traffic analytics firm Placer.ai.