The government this evening have announced restrictions in counties Kildare, Laois and Offaly which will result in the closure of gyms, leisure centres, swimming pools, exercise and dance studios from midnight tonight for 2 weeks. We understand that this will cause enormous challenges for our members in those affected counties who have worked so hard over the past months to get open safely and begin operations again. We will engage with government on further updates/clarity regarding the restrictions and update our members in due course.
Relevant extract below:
Cultural and religious
All cinemas, theatres, casinos, betting shops, bingo halls, gyms, leisure centres, swimming pools, exercise and dance studios are required to close.
Sport
No sporting events or matches should take place, with the following exemptions:
- non-contact training outdoors in a maximum group of 15 people may continue
- professional and elite sports and horse-racing may continue behind closed doors
- inter-county training (max 15 people) and fixtures may continue behind closed doors.
Our understanding is that outdoor group fitness can take place with less than 15 people in line with Ireland Active guidance issued in Phase 2