SINGAPORE - Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu preached patience and caution in a Facebook live session with members of the sports and fitness community on Saturday (May 30) night. It was the second such dialogue after one on April 18.
During the 80-minute session, Ms Fu said while she understood the concerns and struggles of business owners in the industry - some have posted zero revenue in April and May because of circuit breaker measures - she added the easing of restrictions for the resumption of their operations have to be done carefully.
In response to a suggestion there be separate reopening guidelines for different types of gyms, Ms Fu explained the government relied on "the science" and "studies" on how the Covid-19 infections occur.
Such factors included ventilation of activity spaces, duration of activities, and participants coming into contact with common surfaces.
"I have spoken to some gym operators and I think they have a good appreciation of all these risk factors," she said.
"We are working very, very closely with them to see how we can mitigate (these factors) and open safely, because it's in the interest of everyone if we can keep this re-opening safe for everyone for a long time.
"But if we have a cluster, like we saw in rock climbing (with two gyms in March reporting a user had contracted the virus), then we may have no choice but to close down the gym.
"We are in this together, and we need to really be quite clear and also sure about what we are doing, so we do not compromise each other's interests."
Ms Fu, who was joined by Sport Singapore (SportSG) chairman Kon Yin Tong, the chief of SportSG's strategy group Rostam Umar and its deputy chief of industry Thomas Lim, also elaborated on some of the support schemes rolled out by the government for the industry.
On Thursday (May 28), she had announced a $3 million grant aimed at helping sports enterprises capture growth opportunities in the digital economy, which include the development and application of technology for training sports professionals and upgrading their skills.
Those eligible for this grant include gyms, health and fitness studios, sports event organisers, event management companies, sports facility operators and private sports academies and clubs.
SportSG had previously also made efforts to help members of the sports and fitness industry who have been impacted by the pandemic.
In March, it launched the ActiveSG Circle, a virtual platform that connects private fitness instructors and freelancers with its 1.6 million ActiveSG members, and it also created 500 temporary jobs to help those whose livelihoods have been affected by the circuit breaker situation.
Singapore will enter the first phase of the post circuit-breaker period from June 2, but sports, recreation and outdoor facilities such as gyms and fitness studios will remain closed. National Development Minister Lawrence Wong on Thursday had said the second phase could begin before the end of June.
SportSG's Lim confirmed reopening public swimming pools and stadiums will be a part of the second phase, but added the national agency is still working on advisories for safe distancing measures it will put in place, explaining there has to be a differentiation between recreational use of facilities and use for classes.
