Mask-off gym activities allowed for groups of five from next Monday
From July 12, cap for indoor & outdoor classes can be raised from 30 to 50 people
Indoor, mask-off sports and exercise activities can take place in groups of five - up from two currently - at gyms and fitness studios from next Monday as more Covid-19 measures are relaxed, the multi-ministry task force tackling the pandemic said yesterday.
The cap for indoor and outdoor classes will also increase from 30 to 50 people, including the instructor. Sport Singapore will release more details, said the Ministry of Health (MOH).
While those in the fitness industry welcomed the increase in numbers, they stressed that it is still far from a return to normalcy.
True Group director Sean Tan said the new measures were "yet another step towards the new normal", but noted that they do not significantly increase the capacity for the company's 12 gyms, which are designed to accommodate 300 to 700 people at any one time.
Mr Tan, who is also president of the Singapore Fitness Alliance, said: "We look forward to a further easing of measures at the end of July - hopefully not just that group sizes can be increased to eight, but that the maximum capacity for gyms and studios can be doubled at least."
Indoor, mask-off activities were allowed to resume in groups of two from June 12, after these activities were suspended from May 8 following the introduction of stricter Covid-19 measures.
But some gym owners like Mr Samuel Lim from Crossfit outfit Fire City have seen a dip in numbers after the recent incident involving a 16-year-old male who suffered cardiac arrest six days after receiving his first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
The teenager collapsed at home after a weightlifting session earlier at the gym, prompting MOH to issue an updated advisory on Monday stating that strenuous activities should be avoided after both doses of the vaccine.
As a result, Mr Lim has had clients cancel their appointments this week as they are getting their vaccinations.
The 39-year-old said: "Although we all want it to be rainbows and butterflies, the fact of the matter is that on the ground, there are so many things we are worried about.
"But safety comes first. At the end of the day, we also don't want anything to happen."
All staff who work at gyms and fitness studios where clients are unmasked will also be placed on a regular 14-day fast and easy test (FET) regimen, which will be made mandatory from next Thursday.
There was good news for football fans as the Football Association of Singapore announced yesterday that up to 250 fans will be allowed into Singapore Premier League match venues when the competition resumes on July 17.
Those who are not fully vaccinated must produce a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test or ART result. Either the PCR test or ART must be taken 24 hours before the end of the event.
Those who have received both doses of either the Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty or Moderna vaccines may be admitted without a negative Covid-19 test result.
However, vaccinated persons will be allowed in for matches only if their second dose was received at least 14 days prior.
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