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Gyms in Merseyside will be allowed to reopen after the UK government provided no evidence that they should close under strict top-tier coronavirus restrictions imposed just a week ago.
Steve Rotheram, the mayor of the Liverpool city region, has harshly criticized ministers for ordering the closure of gyms and leisure centers in Merseyside while allowing them to remain open in the other Level 3 areas, Lancashire and Greater Manchester.
Rotheram announced Wednesday morning that gyms would be allowed to reopen in the region.
He said the government agreed Tuesday night that it would rescind its original decision. He told BBC Radio Merseyside: “This is a very, very difficult period for all of us. We’ve been trying to work with the government to understand why this particular set of restrictions would be right for us and also to get the support package. “
The move represents a humiliating descent from Boris Johnson’s government just seven days after the Liverpool city region became the first place in England to enter level 3 restrictions.
Level one – medium
- The “rule of six” applies, which means that it is forbidden to socialize in groups of more than six people, whether indoors or outdoors.
- Merchants can continue to come to a home to work and are not counted toward the six-person limit.
- Businesses and venues can continue to operate, but pubs and restaurants need to ensure that customers only consume food and beverages while seated, and they close between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.
- Take-out can continue to be sold after 10 p.m. M. If ordered by phone or online.
- Schools and universities remain open.
- Places of worship remain open, but people should not mix in a group of more than six.
- Weddings and funerals can go ahead with restrictions on the number of people who can attend (15 and 30 respectively).
- Exercise classes and organized sports can continue to take place outdoors and, if the rule of six is followed, indoors.
Level two – high
- People are prohibited from socializing with people outside their home or with bubbles of support in any indoor environment.
- Traders can continue to go home to work.
- The rule of six still applies to socializing outdoors, for example in a garden or in a public space such as a park or a beach.
- Businesses and venues can continue to operate, but pubs and restaurants need to ensure that customers only consume food and beverages while seated, and they close between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.
- Take-out can continue to be sold after 10 p.m. M. If ordered online or by phone.
- Schools and universities remain open.
- Places of worship remain open, but people should not mix in a group of more than six.
- Weddings and funerals can go ahead with restrictions on the number of people who can attend (15 and 30 respectively).
- Exercise classes and organized sports may continue to take place outdoors, but will only be allowed indoors if people can avoid mixing with people they don’t live with (or don’t share a bubble of support with ), or for youth or disabled sports.
- Travel to open services, for work, or to access education is allowed, but people are encouraged to reduce the number of trips whenever possible.
Level three: very high
- People are prohibited from socializing with people they do not live with or have not formed a supportive bubble with, in any indoor setting, private garden, or most outdoor entertainment venues and ticketed events.
- Traders can continue to go home to work.
- The rule of six still applies to public outdoor spaces, such as parks, beaches, public gardens, or sports facilities.
- Pubs and bars can only remain open to operate as restaurants, in which case alcohol can only be served as part of a substantial meal.
- Schools and universities remain open.
- Places of worship remain open, but domestic mixing is not allowed.
- Weddings and funerals can go ahead with restrictions on the number of people attending (15 and 30 respectively), but wedding receptions are not allowed.
- The rules for exercise classes and organized sport are the same as for level 2. They can continue to take place outdoors, but will only be allowed indoors if it is possible for people to avoid mixing with people they do not live with. (or share a bubble with support), or for youth sports or for the disabled. However, in Merseyside, gyms were ordered to close when they entered level 3.
- Avoid traveling outside of an area with a very high alert level or entering an area with a very high alert level, except for reasons such as work, education or youth services, to fulfill care responsibilities or if you are traveling as part of a longer trip.
- Residents of a level 3 area should avoid spending the night in another part of the UK, while people living in a level 1 or level 2 area should avoid spending the night in a very high alert level area.
The three-tier lockdown system was designed to simplify the imposition of Covid restrictions across the country, but within days it was plagued with difficulties, including a damaging public dispute with the leaders of Greater Manchester.
Earlier this week, Rotheram and the region’s six council leaders demanded an urgent review of the gyms’ closure after they were allowed to stay open in Lancashire, which reached a level 3 agreement on Friday.
Rotheram said he had been in talks with Downing Street “late into the night” and that officials agreed that gyms could safely reopen on Merseyside.
He said: “The government has agreed to the case that I filed on behalf of the city region leaders and that they would now bring us in line with other Tier 3 areas, similar to Lancashire and Greater Manchester when placing their orders. This would mean that the soft play areas will be closed, but the gyms could be reopened.
“I think it will provide consistency of approach, which is what we are asking for, and remove the confusion for people in our area that things were being imposed here but not elsewhere.”
