Easing of Coronavirus restrictions for Regional Victoria will allow gyms and indoor pools to reopen

The Victorian Government has today announced that restrictions for fitness facilities, indoor aquatic centre, food courts and school graduation ceremonies in the regional Victoria will ease from midnight on Tuesday.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews made the announcement today, acknowledging that continued low numbers of regional cases of COVID-19 cases was allowing the easing to take place.

The Third Step easing, effective from 11.59pm on Tuesday 27th October will allow:

• Gyms and fitness studios to operate with a maximum of 20 people.
• Indoor pools to open with a maximum of 20 people.
• Indoor sport to begin for those 18 and under.
• Food courts to open
• Live music as part of outdoor hospitality
• School graduations can be held
• Religious gatherings will be permitted to host a maximum of 20 people indoors and 50 people outdoor, plus one faith leader.
• Outdoor funerals will increase to 50 mourners.

Premier Andrews also announced easing measures for Shepparton, where there has been a spike in cases, advising “from 11.59pm tonight, greater Shepparton will also come into alignment with the rest of regional Victoria, with hospitality venues moving to up to 40 people inside after no new cases were recorded in the area.”

However, Premier Andrews added that he was “not in a position” to ease restrictions in metropolitan Melbourne.

Calls for Victorian Government rescue package for gyms
With the ongoing closure of gyms and fitness centres across Victoria having caused owners and operators significant financial hardship, there are calls for a relief package for the sector.

While most privately owned facilities have been eligible for JobKeeper, The Australian has reported that “frustrated owners … are on the verge of financial ruin and will need relief to continue operating.”

Body & Soul Genesis Ballarat owner Mel Tempest said about 40% of gym users across fitness facilities in the Ballarat region had cancelled their gym memberships.

Tempest told The Australian “when we do open our doors, we’ve got to have money to be able to do marketing and get people.

“These clubs have had no income for six months - we can’t go to the bank for loans and get further into debt. We’ve just been forgotten.”

Advising that gyms had reopened after the state’s first Coronavirus lockdown, but were forced to close again before the start of Victoria’s second shutdown, and have not reopened since, Tempest explained “every club in regional Victoria wants to open in some sort of capacity.

“We opened before the second lockdown and have the booking app, swipe system, COVID management plans ready to go.

“Gyms being closed for weeks meant momentum dropped off across the board everywhere - we went through our database and rang all our 2200 members and the conversations were consistent - a loss of motivation, struggling to get out of bed and putting on weight.”

Tempest said many centres and gyms had struggled to get government grants due to the industry being self-regulated, adding “we don’t have a union or government body - we are battling this on our own,” she said.

Tempest said financial relief was needed for affected clubs to help them climb out of debt, and called on the City of Ballarat to waive rates for the current financial year.

Lower image: Body & Soul Genesis Ballarat owner Mel Tempest. Picture: Supplied.