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T

Her strongly-worded letter

housands of UK public sector health clubs and

outlines how more than 400

leisure centres are under

gyms, pools and community

threat of permanent

centres have already shut since the start of the pandemic.

closure, unless the government

She also highlights that the

provides increased financial

impact had been particularly

support for the sector.

severe for small and medium-

That is the warning issued by ukactive chair Tanni

sized organisations and said

Grey-Thompson in a letter

failure to provide tailored

written to PM Boris Johnson.

support “will contribute to

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK/FLAMINGO IMAGES

54 per cent of public sector facilities are at risk of closure

PHOTO: UKACTIVE

a worsening of our health inequalities, with inactivity levels continuing to climb”. In the letter, Grey-Thompson urges the PM to deliver

More than 400 community facilities have already closed

on the priorities set out in the Queen’s Speech, which

to request your support, and

than half (54 per cent) of

included a pledge to “deliver

for you to personally intervene,

England’s leisure centres that

a national recovery from the

to ensure that thousands

are operated by trusts or

We need to ensure that thousands of gyms and leisure centres are able to stay open

pandemic that makes the UK

of gyms and leisure centres

under Leisure Management

stronger, healthier and more

are able to stay open.”

Contracts (LMCs) are at risk

Tanni Grey-Thompson

Thompson writes: “I’m writing

prosperous than before”. In her letter, Baroness Grey-

The letter follows a

of closure within six months.

new survey by ukactive, which has found that more

More: http://lei.sr/r6Z9G_H

A

report commissioned by Parkrun has estimated that allowing mass-participation

PHOTO: PARKRUN

Parkrun study: low risk of COVID-19 transmission at outdoor events

data published by the Office for

Our analysis was undertaken using COVID-19 prevalence levels for March 2021, and the results revealed that Parkrun events are likely to be very safe

National Statistics from March

Clive Beggs, Queen

2021, looking at the prevalence

Mary University

outdoor events carries an “exceptionally low risk” of COVID-19 transmission. The study, by Professor Clive Beggs at Queen Mary University of London, utilised

of the virus, alongside antibody

The study predicted the prevalence of the virus at races

levels within the population.

32

The study found that, on

at events where an infectious

prevalence levels for March

the road races held during the

average, if Parkruns had been

person did participate, there

2021 and the results revealed

pandemic, which have been

open in March this year (2020),

would have been an average

that Parkrun events are

characterised by a noticeable

there would not have been an

R value of only 0.057.

likely to be very safe.

lack of infectious outbreaks.”

infectious person present at 30

Professor Clive Beggs said:

per cent of events. Importantly,

“Our analysis used COVID-19

Issue 5 2021 ©Cybertrek 2021

“This finding appears to be supported by evidence from

More: http://lei.sr/k3F5v_H