Raleigh cheerleading gym closed after cluster of coronavirus cases

Kelly Helton, owner and operator of the gymnasium, said three coaches and six athletes tested positive in the past week, but none of them is seriously ill. Prior to that, only seven cases were connected to the gym since it reopened in late May, she said.

"We get the gym disinfected weekly from a professional company. We’ve literally been doing everything there is you can do,” she said.

Despite precautions at workouts – temperature checks, masks required and regular application of sanitizer – Helton was not surprised to see the cases pop up.

"I can do everything I can do to try and control what’s going on inside the gym, but once things start to reopen like schools have reopened for some of my kids, their parents allow them to go see their friends. We can not live in fear either,” she said.

The change in habits and the flu season on the way will require more diligence to keep her athletes active, Helton said.

“It’s a competitive sport. You can’t really go months at a time without doing it and then expect to be at the same level you were when you come back,” she said.

“They have all made the decision. They know the risk associated with being in larger groups, and they are OK with it because cheer means a lot to these kids," she said.

She has notified anyone who was in close contact with any of the people who have tested positive. So far, the worst symptoms have been headaches and loss of taste and smell, she said.