28 Feb 2021
Scottish gyms could open two weeks after English ones, no dates yet for Wales and Northern Ireland
BY Tom Walker
Gyms and leisure centres in Scotland are set to open on 26 April, provided that the rate of coronavirus infections keeps falling across the country.
Revealing the Scottish government's roadmap out of lockdown, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the reopening of gyms and sports facilities would be accompanied with people being allowed to exercise in small groups outdoors again.
“From 26 April we will begin to re-open the economy and society in the more substantial way that we are all so longing for," Sturgeon said.
“It is important to stress, of course, that all of this depends on us continuing to suppress the virus."
Sturgeon made her announcement a day after Boris Johnson revealed that gyms in England would reopen on 12 April.
Elsewhere in the UK, gyms and indoor leisure facilities are currently closed in Northern Ireland, with a review on lockdown plans scheduled for March 18.
Of the home nations, the picture on gym and leisure centre openings is the most unclear in Wales, where mixed messages from the devolved government has infuriated the physical activity sector (to read more, click here).
As it stands, there are no clear plans for a roadmap for Wales to emerge from the lockdown, although the Welsh Government has confirmed that it will be looking at the restrictions around non-essential retail and close contact services on 12 March.
According to Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford, the earliest gyms could open would be at Easter (1 April), but this would be dependent on the latest data – such as those regarding infection rates across the nation.
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