Prevent gyms closing due to a spike in Covid 19 cases
The Parliament petitions site records 621,440 signatures for this petition, which closed on 12 February 2021. The Government responded on 28 October 2020. MPs debated it in Westminster Hall on 23 November 2020.
The petition
The petition's creator is not named in the Petitions site's published record. Quoted in full from the UK Parliament petitions site.
Prevent gyms closing due to a spike in Covid 19 cases
In the event of a spike we would like you not to close gyms as a measure to stop any spread of Covid. Also for gyms to not be put in the same group as pubs in terms of risk or importance. Gyms are following strict guidelines and most members are following rules in a sober manner.
The gyms are a huge benefit for users, not just physically but mentally too. There are studies that show physical exercise can be a great boost to the immune system and releases endorphins which can prevent stress and a chain of mental illnesses. In such a stressful time people need a viable way to exercise. Using home equipment just isn’t sufficient, unless every person in the UK has hundreds of pounds to pay out on equipment (much of which has increased in price since the pandemic).
The Government's response
The Government published its response on 28 October 2020. Its summary:
Sports and physical activity facilities are crucial for adults and children to stay active. The Government’s phased approach is based on scientific and medical advice to protect public health.
The opening 307 words of the 466-word response:
Sports and physical activity are incredibly important for our physical and mental health, and are a vital weapon against coronavirus. That’s why we made sure that people could exercise at least once a day even during the height of lockdown - and why we opened up grassroots sport and leisure facilities as soon as it was safe to do so. Outdoor swimming pools have been able to open from 11 July, and from 25 July indoor gyms, leisure centres (including sports halls) and swimming pools in England were able to reopen. However, we have always made clear that we will adopt a phased approach to reopening based on scientific and medical advice, with the primary goal of protecting public health.
Sports and physical activity providers and facilities are at the heart of our communities, and play a crucial role in supporting adults and children to be active. On 22 October, the Government announced a £100m support fund for local authority leisure centres. In addition, Sport England’s Community Emergency Fund is providing £210 million directly to support community sport clubs and exercise centres through this pandemic. We are continuing to work at pace across government to ensure the sector has the support it needs to continue delivering their central role in helping people be active.
On 11 October, the Prime Minister announced further measures on social contact to manage local outbreaks. Organised outdoor sport, licensed outdoor physical activity and outdoor exercise classes are still exempt from the rule of 6, and can happen in any number. Indoor sport and exercise classes can also continue, in line with the social contact rules in your local area. These new restrictions are necessary as we continue to fight the virus, and we continue to work across the government to make sure the sector has the support it needs throughout this pandemic.
Read the full response on the petitions site.
Where the signatures came from
Signatures came from 650 constituencies on the boundaries used until the 2024 general election. The largest number, 5,645, came from Liverpool, Riverside.
620,828 of the signatures were from the UK and 612 from elsewhere, by the location signers gave.
| Constituency | Signatures |
|---|---|
| Liverpool, Riverside | 5,645 |
| Garston and Halewood | 4,342 |
| Knowsley | 4,069 |
| Wallasey | 3,597 |
| Bootle | 3,545 |
| Liverpool, Wavertree | 3,456 |
| Liverpool, West Derby | 3,334 |
| Liverpool, Walton | 3,175 |
| Birkenhead | 3,161 |
| Halton | 3,139 |
| Region | Signatures |
|---|---|
| North West | 128,825 |
| London | 89,193 |
| South East | 77,205 |
| East of England | 53,838 |
| West Midlands | 51,317 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 48,307 |
| South West | 42,473 |
| East Midlands | 39,188 |
| North East | 29,071 |
| Wales | 18,142 |
| Scotland | 15,755 |
| Northern Ireland | 4,853 |
Debate in Parliament
MPs debated the petition in Westminster Hall on 23 November 2020. Read the debate in Hansard. House of Commons Library debate pack.
Source and receipt
- https://petition.parliament.uk/archived/petitions/333869.jsonUK Parliament Petitions API · read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256
849429be6adf6640… - The petition on petition.parliament.uk
The petition's words are its creator's and the response is the Government's; this site quotes both and gives no view on either. Signature counts can still change while a petition is open. To report an error, send a correction request.