I am aware of a number of campaigns calling for gyms and leisure clubs to reopen.
I, too, want to see these facilities open as soon as possible. Aside from the obvious, serious health problems which the Coronavirus outbreak has caused, the wider effects to both people’s physical and mental health has been profound. These are strange times, and the physical exertion which many people find helps them cope with stress has been more difficult to carry out away from usual sports and leisure facilities.
We must continue to follow the advice of the scientists, including the Chief Medical Officer. I am not a scientist, and so I do not feel it would be appropriate for me to call for these facilities to be allowed to reopen on a specific date. I recognise, however, that the risks of Coronavirus transmission need to be weighed alongside the wider risks to physical and mental health, and I would like to see gyms and leisure facilities open again as soon as possible.
The Culture Secretary has stated he hopes that gyms will be able to reopen from mid-July.
Update: Outdoor pools can reopen to the public from 11 July followed by indoor gyms, pools and leisure centres on 25 July.
