From Saturday (July 11), outdoor pools will be able to reopen then from July 25 indoor gyms, swimming pools, and sports facilities can follow. The Government has today (Thursday) announced new measures which have made this possible. The guidance, published by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, has been compiled with input from the trade body ukactive, the Sport and Recreation Alliance, Sport England and other sports bodies, and in consultation with Public Health England and the Health and Safety Executive. It includes advice for providers of pool, gym and leisure facilities on cleaning, social distancing, and protection for staff to help venues get back up and running safely. It also supports the re-opening of sports halls which are vital to the return of play for many sports, including badminton and volleyball. Guidance produced by National Governing Bodies will complement the government guidance and help ensure indoor sports can be played safely from July 25. Venues must ensure they can enable customers, staff and volunteers to maintain social distancing before, during and after participation. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: “The reopening of gyms is the news millions across the country have been waiting for with many people desperate to jump on a spinning bike or dive into a pool. “Our comprehensive guidance will ensure gyms, pools and leisure centres have the support they need to reopen safely for their customers and staff. “Helping people return to gyms safely will also help the nation get match-fit to defeat this virus.” Measures set out in the guidance include: • Limiting the number of people using the facility at any one time • Reducing class sizes and allowing sufficient time between each class to avoid groups waiting outside during changeover • Ensuring an appropriate number of people are in a swimming pool at any one time • Spacing out equipment or taking some out of service to maintain social distancing • Enhanced cleaning and providing hand sanitizer throughout venues • Queue management and one-way systems • Ensuring adequate ventilation • Customers and staff should be encouraged to shower and change at home wherever possible, although changing rooms will be available. Leisure centres and indoor gyms, along with swimming pools and other indoor sports facilities, have been closed since Saturday March 21 as part of measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus. This comes after outdoor gyms, pubs, restaurants, and hairdressers were permitted to reopen from July 4 while ensuring social distancing. This is how many people can visit your house or garden and how to keep safe A message from the Editor, Gary Shipton: In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news, I am asking you to please purchase a copy of our newspapers. With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspapers. Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.