SINGAPORE – As Singapore moves to Phase 3 (Heightened Alert) from Monday (June 14), gyms and fitness studios will have to wait a little longer to find out if they can resume their indoor operations.

The multi-ministry taskforce (MTF) said on Thursday (June 10) that if the coronavirus situation remains under control in the coming weeks, gyms and fitness studios will be allowed to resume indoor mask-off sports activities with safe management measures in place from June 21.

These measures include social distancing of at least 2m between individuals and at least 3m between groups of up to five people. Indoor and outdoor sports classes can also be carried out in multiple groups of five, with a cap of 30 people, including the instructor.

Participants will be allowed to unmask if they are doing “strenuous activities”, but are encouraged to remain masked where possible.

Under the current heightened measures for Phase 2, which took effect on May 16, only low-intensity physical activities such as yoga and pilates to take place at public and private gyms and fitness studios. Organised programmes and classes for low-intensity activities have only been allowed to carry out their sessions in groups of two.

When indoor activities in gyms and fitness studios are allowed to resume, staff from gyms and fitness studios where clients are unmasked will be required to undergo regular Covid-19 testing.

This is part of the regular fast and easy testing (FET) regime for staff involved in “higher-risk mask-off” activities, which was introduced to reduce transmission during Phase 3 (Heightened Alert).

Mass participatory sports events could also be allowed to resume from June 21, with a maximum of 250 participants if pre-event testing is implemented. If participants are not tested before the event, only 50 people will be allowed to take part.

Spectators will be allowed to return to sports events such as football’s Singapore Premier League, from Monday. The number of spectators will be capped at 250 attendees with pre-event testing, while no testing is required for events with 50 or fewer attendees.

Read next: Singapore to ease Covid-19 curbs and reopen in 2 phases from June 14: Everything you need to know

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