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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
