Reopening date confirmed for gyms and swimming pools

The first minister has confirmed plans to reopen gyms, swimming pools and indoor sports courts at the end of this month.

Nicola Sturgeon has brought forward their reopening to August 31 - having initially given an indicative date of September 14.

Meanwhile from this Monday, driving lessons, outdoor live events with physical distancing, organised outdoor contact sports and indoor advice services can all start again.

But she says these are the only changes to the route map out of lockdown, with Scotland remaining in the third phase.

The following dates have been confirmed by the Scottish Government:

AUGUST 24

  • Organised outdoor contact sports – all ages – following the guidance of relevant sports bodies.
  • Certain outdoor live events (involving open space or organised seating) with physical distancing and restricted numbers – subject to guidance.
  • Driving lessons can resume – following guidance.
  • Child contact centres – following guidance.
  • Face-to-face advice services can resume – following guidance.
  • Bingo halls (with physical distancing and following guidance).
  • Amusement arcades and casinos following guidance (incl. enhanced hygiene).
  • Snooker/pool halls, indoor bowling – following guidance (incl. enhanced hygiene).
  • Funfairs – static and travelling – following guidance.

AUGUST 31

  • Gyms (indoor) – following guidance.
  • Swimming pools following guidance.
  • Indoor sports courts – including skating and dance studios – subject to relevant guidance (children under 12 - all activity; adults and young people (12 plus) - non-contact only.
  • Indoor activities for children and young people (unregulated) – following guidance which will vary by activity.

The following indicative dates have been set out:

SEPTEMBER 14

  • Soft play (indoor) – following guidance (e.g. no ball pools, enhanced hygiene).
  • Certain indoor live events such as standing concerts – subject to guidance – with physical distancing, enhanced hygiene, and restricted numbers.
  • Other indoor entertainment venues – following guidance – with physical distancing requirements (e.g. theatres, music venues). Not nightclubs.
  • Indoor sports courts – including skating and dance studios – can be used by adults and young people for contact sports – subject to guidance.
  • Stadia (limited re-opening) – following guidance (e.g. physical distancing, restricted numbers) – with option for testing on earlier dates subject to agreement.
  • Certain outdoor live events (involving focussed standing) with physical distancing and restricted numbers – subject to guidance

The following are awaiting further review:

  • Non-essential offices and call centres can re-open following implementation of relevant guidance (including on physical distancing). Working from home and working flexibly remain the default.
  • Other indoor live events – subject to guidance – with physical distancing, enhanced hygiene, and restricted numbers.

Meanwhile, Scotland has had its biggest number of positive coronavirus tests for nearly three months.

There were 77 positive cases in the country yesterday, representing 1% of those tested.

Of those, 27 were in Tayside where there has been an outbreak at a food processing factory - the number of cases in that cluster rising from 29 to 43.

A total of 12 were in Grampian, where there have now been 407 cases since July 26. A total of 237 cases are linked with a cluster associated with Aberdeen hospitality venues.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: "I am not able to indicate, today, a move from phase three of our route map out of lockdown to phase four.

"We will remain, for now, in phase three and I must give notice today that this may well be the case beyond the next review point too.

"For us to move to phase four, we would have to be satisfied , and I’m quoting from our routemap, that “the virus is no longer considered a significant threat to public health”.

"As today’s figures have demonstrated, and as has been confirmed to me in advice from the chief medical officer, this is definitely not the case.

"Today’s update therefore sets out which phase three restrictions will be changed in the coming weeks, while other necessary restrictions remain in place.

"This has of course involved some difficult and delicate decisions.

"The figures we have been reporting in recent weeks show that incidence and prevalence of the virus continue to be at low levels in Scotland as a whole.

"However, the range for our R number has recently increased, and our most recent estimates suggest that it could currently be above one. Of course, this is partly because, when prevalence is generally low, localised outbreaks have a bigger effect on the R number. That said though we must continue to monitor it closely.

"We are also recording more positive cases than three weeks ago. When we last reviewed the lockdown measures, we had recorded 14 new cases a day, on average, over the previous week. We are now recording 52 new cases a day on average.

"And in the past three weeks we have seen one significant outbreak of the virus in Aberdeen, and a number of smaller clusters in locations across the country."

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