Closure of gyms and swimming pools as pubs reopen ‘defies all logic’

Ministers were today accused of making a “potentially catastrophic mistake” by forcing pools and gyms to stay closed as a furious backlash gathered pace and a leisure industry chief warned that it will cost jobs and damage the nation’s health.

Mark Sesnan, the chief executive of Better, a charitable social enterprise business that operates many of London’s swimming pools and sports centres, said the decision “defied logic” and was “ignoring the health of the nation” as he called for an immediate review.

He added that the failure to approve the anticipated reopening date early next month would inflict further financial losses on pools, gyms and leisure centres and that some public facilities would struggle to be able to afford to reopen if the shutdown continued much longer.

The warning follows the announcement yesterday by Boris Johnson that although pubs, restaurants, hotels and other businesses will be allowed to resume on July 4th, swimming pools, gyms and leisure centres were being excluded from the relaxation.

No detailed explanation was given and the only glimmer of hope for operators was a tweet from Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden saying that an opening date later in July might be possible.

Sports organisations, including Badminton England which described the continued shutdown as “mystifying” and Swim England, hit out in response, while Olympic breast stroke gold medallist Adam Peaty joined critics on social media.

He said that it was “mad” that people could go shopping but not to leisure centres and urged the Prime Minister to “give us a reason why pools will be one of the last things to open?!” alongside the hashtag #OpenOurPools

Amid the continued silence from ministers, Mr Sesnan, whose business operates pools including London Fields Lido and Charlton Lido as well as dozens of London leisure centres, also insisted today that there was no justification for the continued closure.

“The Government has made a potentially catastrophic mistake by leaving leisure centres, indoor gyms and swimming pools off the list of businesses that can reopen on July 4. This will be bad for business, bad for jobs and bad for the health of the nation,” he said.

“If pubs and restaurants can reopen it defies logic that indoor sports and leisure facilities remain closed. This decision appears short sighted. We need an opening date immediately.”

Speaking later in an interview on Radio 4’s Today programme, Mr Sesnan added that “the chlorine in swimming pools kills the virus stone dead” and that “enhanced cleaning”, social distancing and other measures had been prepared to allow safe reopening.

Private gym operators are also facing financial losses, job cuts and closures with PureGym describing it as a “strange ‘war on obesity’ that sees pubs and restaurants open before gyms”.

A spokeswoman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport was unable to offer any scientific explanation for the extended shutdown but said that ministers hoped to be able to allow reopening soon.

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