March 29, 2024

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ActiveSG centres to regulate access to ensure physical distancing amid COVID-19 situation

SINGAPORE: Access to public sports facilities will be regulated to ensure “adequate physical distancing”, Sport Singapore (SportSG) announced on Sunday (Mar 15).

All ActiveSG centres, including stadiums, sport halls, gyms, swimming complexes and studios will implement regulated access starting from Monday.

Where possible, the centres will also have a single point of entry to facilitate temperature taking and recording of visitor details.

READ: COVID-19 – Stay-home notices for all travellers entering Singapore from ASEAN countries, Japan, UK, Switzerland

“Sport Singapore will implement enhanced precautionary measures in line with the latest advisory issued by the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Mar 13, 2020,” the national sport agency said in a media release.

“SportSG aims to provide avenues where Singaporeans can continue to stay fit and healthy, amid the evolving COVID-19 situation.”

REGULATED ACCESS

Access to ActiveSG gyms will be regulated “according to the size of the respective facility”, said SportSG.

When a gym is at full capacity, notices will be displayed to inform users, who will then be given queue numbers.

Gym users are strongly advised to avoid visiting multiple gyms and stick to one ActiveSG gym during this period, “to limit the chances for widespread transmission”, said SportSG.

Programmes which used to be conducted at ActiveSG studios will be held outdoors to allow natural ventilation.

“If a programme must take place in the studio, the number of users allowed to be present in the gym will be restricted to ensure there is more physical distance between participants,” said SportSG.

The number of visitors to swimming pools will also be be regulated, while children’s pools will be closed until further notice. All swimming pools will implement temperature taking and visitor registration.

For indoor sport halls that are shared by groups for activities such as badminton and table tennis, only alternate courts will be available for use.

“Some of the court bookings from Monday will be cancelled and refunded accordingly,” said SportSG.

This will limit the number of patrons within the hall and maintain some physical distance between groups, it added.

No changes will be made for squash and tennis courts’ bookings and usage.

The number of visitors to ActiveSG stadiums will also be regulated, with single-point entry implemented where possible. Lane segregation will be introduced at stadiums for joggers.

Temperature taking and visitor registration will be implemented for organised events.

Programmes for senior citizens will continue to be suspended until Mar 24, after they were first suspended on Mar 11.

The gym has low-impact exercise equipment suited to the elderly

The gym has low-impact exercise equipment suited to the elderly. (Photo: Gwyneth Teo)

SportSG has asked organisers to limit entry of players and officials to the facilities by time blocks, especially during leagues or tournaments.

Non-players are only allowed in the spectator stands.

“SportSG has advised all partners, including National Sport Associations to adhere strictly to MOH’s guidelines, including physical distancing and to cancel or postpone events that will have more than 250 participants,” said the agency.

On Friday, MOH announced that all ticketed sport, cultural and entertainment events with 250 participants or more are to be deferred or cancelled.

Athletes and association staff members should also avoid all non-essential travel and practice good hygiene habits, it added.

“SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE BEHAVIOUR”

SportSG encouraged the public to stay healthy, and observe good personal hygiene and socially responsible practices.

CEO Lim Teck Yin said that while he wants Singaporeans to continue to stay fit and healthy, SportSG came up with the measures “to enable socially responsible behaviour”.

READ: Many local COVID-19 cases due to ‘socially irresponsible’ behaviour of a few: Health Minister

“Regulating the number of people at our facilities helps to increase personal space and allows one to adopt physical distancing,” he added. 

Physical distancing, wiping down sport equipment after use, and refraining from visiting ActiveSG premises when a person is sick “are ways in which we can do our part”, he said.

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