Premier Wayne Panton’s promise to find a “better balance” for sporting facilities ahead of the publication of new COVID regulations on 19 Nov., failed to materialise, leaving gym officials disappointed, as they had hoped for change.
Bars, clubs and those hosting social events are not subject to the same restrictions as sports facilities.
The updated COVID-19 regulations are now in effect, with government still requiring people entering indoor sporting facilities to present proof of vaccination, or a negative PCR test result. People or facilities found in contravention of these rules could find themselves subject to a $10,000 fine and/or two years in prison, if convicted.
In an interview with the Compass last month, Panton vowed to review the rules, to keep a sense of fairness between fitness centres and other businesses, such as clubs and bars.
“For those people who are impacted, I want to promise them that we will look very carefully at trying to figure out how we can get the balance better so that it’s less of an impact on them,” he said at the time.
The Compass reached out to Panton and his office, seeking details on any reviews undertaken before the new regulations were published. There was no response before press time.
Under the new regulations, there are exemptions in place regarding the limits on gathering numbers, for venues of sufficient size, or with pre-event testing (and a negative result) in place. But this does not extend to sporting facilities.
Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Lee noted the importance of kids exercising and staying healthy at a, 18 Nov. press briefing. However, with children under 12 unable to receive the jab, they too are not eligible to enter fitness facilities, with the exception of a PCR test every two days.
“I think you’ve always got to balance matters,” Lee said. “You really want kids to take exercise… It’s such a strong benefit… but also for their futures and [their] health.”
Local gyms have been reporting COVID-related impacts on their business. Five confirmed a drop in customers since the protocols came into effect in September.
Management at one such gym, Lift Studio, told the Compass, “Our customers feel disappointed. We lost like 50-something customers and we have customers messaging us daily on whether the mandates have been removed.”
Lift opened its doors in June, with the hope of assisting those trying to build their strength and fitness. However, the regulations imposed by government have made things challenging for the fledgling operation.
“Being a new business like this, and losing customers, it’s rough,” a Lift manager said.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story included quotes from an unnamed member of staff at King’s Sports Centre, who was erroneously described as an “official” of the gym.
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