Government Response

The Government responded to this petition on Monday 21st December 2020

Sports and physical activity facilities are crucial for adults and children to stay active. The Government’s phased approach is based on scientific and medical advice to protect public health.

Sports and physical activity are incredibly important for our physical and mental health, and are a vital weapon against coronavirus. That’s why we made sure that people could exercise at least once a day even during the height of the first period of enhanced national restrictions and why we opened up grassroots sport and leisure facilities as soon as it was safe to do so.

As the Prime Minister said on 23 November, the national restrictions ended on Wednesday 2 December, and gyms and sport facilities could reopen across all tiers. In Tier 3 areas there are further measures to limit social interactions and therefore opportunities for the virus to spread. This unfortunately includes exercise classes. As set out in the COVID Winter Plan the decision to allocate tiers is based on a range of factors and will be reviewed every 14 days.

Under Tier 3 you must not meet socially indoors or in most outdoor places with anybody you do not live with, or who is not in your support bubble, this includes in any private garden or at most outdoor venues. Gyms and sports facilities can open for individual exercise and exercise in single households or support bubbles only. Indoor group activities and exercise classes should not take place. You can continue to do unlimited exercise alone, or in an outdoor public place in groups up to 6.

There are exceptions for the disability sport, sports as part of the curriculum in education and supervised sport and physical activity for under-18s , which can take place in any number.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport