United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the nation’s conditional plan to reopen society on Monday, which gives us some indication of when pools will be back up and running.
The UK released a 51-page document outlining its plan, which includes three phases of managing the spread of the virus along with a three-step roadmap outlining the process of lifting restrictions.
Step One of the roadmap, which is set to get underway on May 13, lifts restrictions for exercising outside, which people can now do “As many times each day as they wish,” but outdoor areas where large groups of people tend to gather are still closed.
“You will still not be able to use areas like playgrounds, outdoor gyms or ticketed outdoor leisure venues where there is a higher risk of close contact and touching surfaces,” the document reads. “You can only exercise with up to one person from outside your household.”
The likely opening of pools won’t occur until Step Three, which will be “No earlier than July 4.”
“The ambition at this step is to open at least some of the remaining businesses and premises that have been required to close, including personal care, hospitality, public places and leisure facilities,” it says of Step Three. “They should also meet the COVID-19 Secure guidelines.”
Step Two, which is currently aimed for around June 1, includes a phased return for schools and non-essential retail, but the majority of sectors, including sport and leisure facilities, remain closed. The second step does include that cultural and sporting events will be permitted to take place behind closed-doors for broadcast.
thats a ridiculously long time without swimming 🙁 wonder how the GB swimmers will fare next year
Same as the US swimmers I have yet to hear any college saying when they will open their pool facilities
The big names have been given those backyard pools with a current. Everyone else is presumably going to have to suck it up.
Well, they tried. There doesn’t seem to be much strategy. Clusterf**k.
Absolute shambles. The government were meant to tell us last night what our route through this would be. I expected clear details – instead they were vague and failed to cover a lot of bases. Messed up here just like they have with the PPE, quarantine and pretty much everything else. So many lives could have been spared. Had to get that rant out there. Also, never in a million years did I think I would agree with what Piers Morgan is saying – LOL.