SoulCycle tells trainers not to skip line for Covid vaccine after NYC celebrity instructor got one

Soulcycle has instructed its trainers to not skip the line for the coronavirus vaccine, after one of its celebrity instructors was criticised for receiving the jab.

Stacey Griffith, 52, who has trained singer Demi Lovato and actress Brooke Shields among others during her $800 (£585) private sessions, was criticised last week after she secured the first dose of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine.

In New York City, health care workers, certain types of teachers, over 65s and supermarket employees are eligible for the vaccine, but SoulCycle instructors are not included as part of the list.

However, Ms Griffith told The Daily Beast that she believes she was eligible because she is an “educator” whose priority is to “keep my community and their respiratory systems operating at full capacity so they can beat this virus if they are infected by it.”

Ms Griffith was widely criticised after the news came to light, with New York City mayor Bill de Blasio saying: “I don’t think someone who shows up and says, ‘Hey, I’m a SoulCycle instructor,’ should have qualified unless there’s some other factor there.”

Mr de Blasio and New York governor Andrew Cuomo have both complained about the limited supply of the coronavirus vaccine in the state, as only those of the highest priority are currently available to receive the jab.

In reaction to the backlash, the New York based fitness company’s CEO Evelyn Webster sent a memo to its employees on Monday informing them that they should not be skipping the Covid-19 vaccine queue.

“SoulCycle instructors do not qualify as educators to receive the vaccine based solely on their roles at SoulCycle and should not be attempting to receive the vaccine unless they are otherwise eligible to do so, based on appropriate state regulations,” Ms Webster said in the memo obtained by Vox.

The company also distanced itself from Ms Griffith, as a spokesperson told Vox: “Stacey Griffith operated in a personal capacity in applying for a NY State Covid-19 vaccine.

“SoulCycle plays no role in organising or obtaining vaccinations for instructors or other employees nor do we encourage any of our SoulCycle employees to seek vaccine priority as educators.”

Despite previously defending her actions, Ms Griffith apologised on Instagram later on Monday, writing: “I want to apologise from the bottom of my heart for my recent action in receiving the vaccine. I made a terrible error in judgment and for that I am truly sorry.”

The celebrity instructor did not allow comments on her post and is still available on Soulcycle’s live schedule.

Since the start of the pandemic, New York has recorded more than 1.43 million coronavirus cases and at least 43,354 deaths, as it has been one of the worst affected states in the US.

According to Johns Hopkins University, there are now more than 26.3 million people who have tested positive for the coronavirus in the US. The death toll has reached 443,365.