Just 3 days ago we reported how Wales is about to undergo another strict nationwide lockdown, with new restrictions taking effect on Christmas Eve, December 24th. You can read the details on the country’s coronavirus-related lockdown here.
England is now following suit, with all current coronavirus-designated ‘tier 3’ areas across London and southeast England moving into ‘tier 4.’
This means that gyms and indoor swimming pools must close. This affects English swimming clubs such as Wycombe District, Sevenoaks, Guildford City and more. Additionally, unless British Swimming has designated university swimmers as ‘elite’, swimmers based at the English colleges are also now out of the water.
The BBC has outlined the tier 4 laws, of which a breach can cost in the range of about £10,000, as the fol
- Residents being asked to stay at home – although those who have to travel for education or work may continue to do so
- Social mixing will be restricted to meeting one other person from outside your household or support bubble in an open public space
- All non-essential retail will have to close, along with hairdressers, nail bars, and indoor entertainment venues
- Gyms and indoor swimming pools must close but outdoor pools, sports courts and golf courses can stay open
- Support bubbles remain unaffected, as do the exemptions for separated parents and their children
- No-one in tier four will be allowed to join Christmas Day bubbles in tiers one to three
- People in tier four areas should not travel abroad, except in limited circumstances (including work and education)
- Communal religious worship will still be allowed
- Weddings and civil partnership ceremonies are not allowed except in exceptional circumstances
These new restrictions go into effect on Sunday, December 20th. Based on factors such as the total number of COVID-19 case, the rate at which cases are rising or falling, the areas moving into tier 4 are:
- Greater London (all 32 boroughs and the City of London)
- Kent
- Buckinghamshire (including Milton Keynes)
- Berkshire
- Surrey (excluding Waverley)
- Gosport, Havant, Portsmouth
- Rother and Hastings
- Bedfordshire
- Hertfordshire
- Essex (excluding Colchester, Uttlesford and Tendring)
- Peterborough
Clubs are already working with members on alternative training during this difficult situation.
As per government guidelines we regret to inform our members that training will stop with immediate effect for all squads. The silver lining is that Jordan will be returning to our screens from Monday. 💪💪💪#Team
— Guildford City SC (@guildfordcitysc) December 19, 2020
Thank you so much for this – we all really appreciate what the coaching team are doing to keep us motivated. #redarmy https://t.co/XsHzsVSPwZ
— Sevenoaks Swim Club (@7oaksSwim) December 19, 2020
It sucks.
Two weeks of getting back in the groove of swimming after the previous lockdown, then pools shut again.
It is what it is though, clearly public health takes priority.
Christmas shopping suspended with a couple of hours notice? Given how fast this new virus mutation appears to be spreading in the areas in question, we can expect neighbouring counties to be shut down within two to three weeks when citizens of counties in tier 4 travel outside their area to get their Christmas presents. As the confirmed cases in the areas reflect the pandemic status 10 days ago, the new mutation is most likely already in neighbouring areas where shops, pubs and restaurants are still open.
My prediction:
Entire South West, South East, West Midlands, East Midlands, East Anglia and London in Tier 4 within two to three weeks and swimmers will not be back in the… Read more »
Went for my evening walk a few hours ago. Witnessed hordes of people with suitcases streaming in to my local underground station out in West London. All heading in to central London, presumably to catch trains home to the rest of the UK before lockdown measures come in to force at midnight. Reminiscent of Milan back in March. This could get very ugly, very quickly.
Stay safe this Christmas everybody.
You must be close to my training base. We are lucky in SW London to have Hampton pool and the Thames river. One is a 36m outdoor heated pool and the other is about 8 degrees and flowing quite fast at the moment but it’ll have to do for now.
Hoping for a Merry Christmas and better things in 2021
Motivation is waning fast with these ad hoc on/off restrictions. I truly feel for the next generation of GB swimmers.
Ad hoc on/off restrictions? So, what is YOUR secret sauce recipe? The restrictions are not ad hoc, they are based on the correct information and scientific advice.
These are testing times. To resolve this, leaders need to address the issue. I feel for my swimmers as well, but the restrictions are not ad hoc – they are required.
What you’re describing is “ad hoc,” or “as needed.”
I am specifically addressing the restrictions being thought off as “not planned”. They are exactly that. Not switched on/off for no reason. It is quite apparent that Monteswim is referring to them as an unplanned inconvenience rather than a planned necessity.
Ad hoc = unplanned.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/ad-hoc
made or happening only for a particular purpose or need, not planned before it happens:
Ad hoc can mean unplanned, but does not have to mean unplanned.
My understanding of “Ad hoc,” and the understanding of most that I speak with, is that it’s not “unplanned” in that “they’re making it all up,” it’s more “unplanned” in that “it reacts to current conditions.” ‘Unplanned’ in the sense of ‘we don’t know when we’re going to have to do it or what exactly we’ll have to do, but if conditions change so will our rules” as compared to “well they told us in August they’d shut down again at the end of December.”
I am not disputing the necessity of the lockdown. The statistics clearly showed that London was not fit for Tier 2 (moderate restrictions) after the lifting of the second lockdown. Case in point – London went from Tier 3 to Tier 4 (full lockdown) in the span of 72 hours. This is ad hoc.
I think you underestimate the decisionmaking processes. Granted you felt it was sudden, though this was planned for long in advance.
If it makes you feel better I can reveal here and now that in case the rate of infection increases in other areas they will be moved to Tier 4 as well and swimming pools will be closed promptly. I am actually rather confident we’re only a couple of weeks away from that point.
Will you perceive such pool closure as ad hoc as well or is it a planned action? Here’s the definition of ad hoc again:
made or happening only for a … Read more »
And…given today’s announcement, it turns out I was right again. We’ll see if someone else describes it as “ad hoc”.