Not all sports clubs have received a second quarantine: now it will be even more difficult

Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis announced on Tuesday that the activities of sports clubs will be suspended during the new quarantine.

In response to the decision, the Lithuanian Health Clubs Association (LSKA) expressed concern that the drastic measure was redundant and would have negative consequences for public health and the viability of the sector as a whole, and sent a letter to the Government.

“We emphasize that we adhere to the principle of responsible behavior and do everything possible to stop the spread of COVID-19. However, we believe that according to the instructions of the Government previously established at least 10 square meters M. m of surface per person When exercising in gyms it is more than enough to ensure safety.

The activities of the health clubs are carried out in wide spaces, which are constantly ventilated with professional equipment, strict accounting and control of visitors is carried out, classes are held without physical contact, it is possible to ensure safe distances . Sufficient disinfectants are provided to customers throughout the facilities, written, audio and video safety notices are used, ”says Aurimas Mačiukas, President of LSKA.

It also adds that the scientific literature that analyzes the effects of COVID-19 and quarantine recognizes that the decrease in physical activity can have adverse effects on the physical health and psychological condition of people.

Sports club managers are pessimistic; this will be detrimental to business and some sports clubs may not open.

The number of Impuls employees has been cut in half: downtime expected again

Vidmantas Šiugždinis, managing director of the Impuls and Lemon gym sports clubs, assures that affiliated clients will not suffer losses due to quarantine. Messages were also sent to customers that membership would be suspended free of charge in the event of suspension.

“It is a great pity that the Government of the Republic of Lithuania has treated all activities in the same way and stops in the most difficult way: by completely banning the activities of sports clubs.” It is clear that this is a very difficult and critical decision, because during that period the clubs will not receive any income, ”says V.Šiugždinis.

He believes that health clubs should be treated differently from other activities.

“The important thing for us is that the government starts to think about the differences between different activities. Sometimes it seems to me that looking at sports clubs just as a place for people to visit for entertainment, somehow doesn’t see the importance, the mission of what we do. We are there to keep people healthy, and during a pandemic, I find it particularly important. And when I build in line with bars and nightclubs, I am sorry ”, says V. Šiugždinis.

He is convinced that sports clubs can provide the conditions for individual sports by maintaining the necessary distances and other precautions.

The number of Impuls LTU employees reached 290 in February this year, and is currently down to 159, according to data from Sodra. The manager explains that this was not only due to the quarantine.

“There are several aspects. And anyway, the processes are constantly being reviewed, automated, and moved a bit towards self-service. But also as a consequence of the quarantine, the company’s personnel structure was revised, especially the administration, I would say, the most affected. Some coaches work by providing services through individual activities, perhaps this is also reflected, ”explains V. Šiugždinis.

Confirms that during the new quarantine, workers would be allowed downtime; this was already the case in the spring. Assistance measures may be needed in the future to maintain jobs.

“It just came to our knowledge then. Even during the last quarantine, there were clubs that stopped their activities and did not open both in Lithuania and Latvia, it is possible that this closing period or some other in the future will permanently affect some market player ”, Says V. Šiugždinis.

Re.Formatas did not open after the quarantine door: fate is unclear

Ramūnas Grušas, the head of sports activities of the Darnu Group, who ran the Re.Formatas sports clubs in Vilnius, confirms that these sports clubs were not opened after the quarantine.

“At least until the situation changes, we are still considering it. (…) We see a general trend, a general situation. We do not want to rush and we want to evaluate the situation until the end. Because that situation is not favorable for sports clubs today As unfortunate as it is, we want to be safe, ”explained R. Grušas.

R. Grušas, director of the Vilnius Tennis Academy, hopes that the Government will give up the opportunity to participate in other sporting activities, such as tennis, where greater distances can be maintained between players.

“I don’t know what will be allowed and what will not, because there is still no government decision, here are only the commission’s proposals to the government. We seem to hear that tennis will be available. Not only tennis, but in general, playing in two, indoors, subject to certain restrictions ”, expects R. Grušas.

The Forum would not be afraid for three weeks, but there will be damage

Dovilė Pilipavičienė, the director of the Forum sports club, is a bit more optimistic.

“Without a doubt, when leaving a business and not letting it work without any income, the quarantine is very significant in any case in a negative way, because you still incur some of those costs, you want to keep employees, pay rent, etc. In any case, negative. It is very difficult to say how strongly it will be negative. It will depend on how long it lasts ”, says D. Pilipavičienė.

She hopes the loyal customer base will be maintained in the long term: “We are very hopeful that their reaction will be the same, that they will quarantine with us and that we will all get back to work. Our disadvantage will depend on the period: three weeks is perhaps a real time to be at home for everyone. “

D. Pilipavičienė assured that during the summer, visitors missed training sessions, sports clubs, and although attendance or membership sales had decreased, residents continued to play active sports.

“It was not a very bad period, and if we had continued like this, the year would have ended more or less stable. And now it is very difficult to predict anything, ”says D. Pilipavičienė.

For Forum employees, the quarantine would also mean downtime, vacations, but it is ensured that everything possible will be done to retain absolutely all employees.

“During the last quarantine, we only gave up seasonal workers because it was summer, and now we will do the same: we will want to return to work in full force after the quarantine, recovery and new permission to work,” says the manager.

Expect the state to compensate the losses suffered

Justas Vaičiulionis, the director of the Get Fit sports clubs, assures that the suspension will have a negative impact.

“Whether such insurance is necessary or not, I don’t know, I’m actually ambiguous. On the one hand, of course, the gym is one of the places where there are more people. But there is as much a place as a mall or market than anyone. It closes. It doesn’t seem logical to me either. If the sports clubs are closed, a whole series of activities should be closed, “says J. Vaičiulionis.

According to him, the health club “healthier people walk”, nobody goes here feeling bad, and the chances of coming to the gym sick are less than those of meeting such a person in a store or at a family celebration.

“A sports club is a seasonal business; basically spring and winter are the best seasons for a sports club, during which you get most of the benefits of this activity. And so it got sports clubs to close in spring, opened in summer when few people tend to play sports. That summer was better than the standard summer, but that didn’t help. And now we really have the same situation again, that during the high season, sports clubs won’t be active, they won’t be clear when ”, says J. Vaičiulionis.

He hopes that the government’s decision that caused the damage will be supplemented at a later stage with decisions that compensate for the damage suffered.

Encourage online sports; not everyone believes that

Sports clubs, one after another, offer to exercise at home using virtual workouts.

“We offered interactive training two weeks ago observing what was happening and seeing that some clients were simply swinging to visit sports clubs and would like to play sports at home. We offered interactive training on the Impuls and Lemon Gym sports club networks. For a few weeks before the sports clubs are open, of course we will continue to train remotely, we will encourage people to play sports, this is our mission, ”says V. Šiugždinis.

The same says the manager of Get Fit, which offers sports at least from home, using distance training.

However, D. Pilipavičienė, director of the Forum, doubts that this could change the sports club.

“Virtual sports content has been available for many years, it is not a novelty, but people still go to sports clubs, because it will not change the live contact and work with the coach, and the team that we have,” says D Pilipavičienė.