Covid-19: Gold Coast gymnastics clubs can open as health officials say dancing and gymnastics can continue with less than 10

Health officials have done a backflip on whether Gold Coast gymnastic clubs can open during restrictions. LEARN THE RULES >>>

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QUEENSLAND Health has urged residents not to take part in any type of organised community sport until August 21 to ensure there’s no other cases of Covid-19 detected.

“However, you can be involved in some activities, such as dancing and gymnastics, with small groups of not more than 10 people and there is no contact between people,” said a spokeswoman.

“Masks must be worn at all times unless you’re doing strenuous exercise.”

It comes after Gold Coast gymnastics clubs were frustrated they could not open yet dance studios were given the green light to open after Sunday’s lockdown lifted.

Gymnastics equipment must be wiped down after use for the next person.

Gold Coast gymnastics clubs can reopen but only to 10 or less students and there is to be no contact. AAP IMAGE/ Tim Pascoe

On Tuesday Queensland Health advised that dance studios can operate, but must adhere to one person per four square metres in the dance area; and dancers and instructors must remain physically distanced.

“This means you cannot have two students from separate households doing lifts or formation dancing,” she said.

“Please take sensible precautious like not sharing equipment and, for example if doing gymnastics, wipe equipment down after use for the next person.

“Organised sport of any description including community, club and recreational sport that also involves coming together for training or competition is not permitted to operate.”

FURY AS GYMNASTICS CLUBS SHUT BUT DANCE STUDIOS OPEN

August 9

GYMNASTIC clubs across the Gold Coast are forced to stay shut yet dance, swimming, karate and taekwondo classes for children can restart.

On Sunday the state government lifted its eight-day lockdown but imposed tight restrictions around what can and can’t be done in schools as well as banning community sport.

State government advised “organised sport of any description including community, club and recreational sport is not permitted”. The intention of the restrictions is to stop schoolchildren from various schools coming together and mixing. It comes as dozens of Brisbane school kids were infected with Covid-19 as part of the south east’s Delta strain cluster.

Gold Coast Gymnastics Club has been forced to close for two weeks as it’s considered community sport, yet dancing and karate aren’t.

Gymnastics clubs across the city aren’t happy.

Varsity Lakes Trampoline and Gymnastics Club said it had “sad news” and posted a photo with the words “closed until further notice”.

“In line with the governments announcement … we’ve been advised gymnastics falls under the category of community sport,” said the message.

“This means for at least 14 days the gym will be closed.”

To help students, the gym is scrambling to organise zoom classes for each age group.

Gold Coast Gymnastics Club said: “We hate to bring some sad news but unfortunately we have news that states we cannot open for the next 14 days unless we are told otherwise.

“Community sport is not allowed during this time which means we are unable to return back to regular classes in the gym. Both venues will sadly remain closed until further notice.

“Keep your heads high Team GCGC, we are in this together.”

One parent called it “so unfair”.

“Gyms can open, karate and taekwondo can open as they fall under the gym category,” she said.

Varsity Lakes Trampoline and Gymnastics Club is also closed until Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.

Another gymnastics parent said: “How can gymnastics fall under community sport but dance and karate doesn’t, there’s dozens of studios who have hundreds of students who attend lots of different schools. What’s the difference? It’s so annoying and just plain wrong.”

Ikin Dance posted “we are back” and invited bookings online or visits to the studio, while Gullivers Coomera swim school told parents swim lessons were back to normal, including after-school care lesson.

Tang Soo Do Karate Gold Coast advised its community classes would resume on Monday, with extra classes on Saturdays for students to catch up.

National Taekwondo Gold Coast said all classes would resume except for those held at Somerset College and Broadbeach State School.

Other codes affected by the two-week no community sport rule include netball, basketball, rugby union, rugby league, AFL, soccer, baseball and hockey.

Gymnastic clubs on the Gold Coast are not allowed to open under lifted lockdown restrictions, yet dance studios can open. Picture: Getty Images

Helensvale Hogs Rugby Union Club advised members it was “frustrated” and that the “bad news” is no community sport for two weeks.

“Keep fit and strong while we work out a plan for when we are back playing”.

In regards to community sport, at Monday’s press conference chief health officer Dr Jeanette Young said if a sport involved contact with someone then it could not go ahead.

She said if it was a dance class with no contact and everyone was spaced out, then that was fine.

Tennis and golf was okay so long as there were small groups and everyone was socially distanced and wore masks when necessary.

“What I don’t want to see is kids from a whole lot of different schools coming together,” she said.

“So it’s really important that people use their common sense because they’ve done so beautifully over the past eight days.”

According to the state government’s website gyms, yoga studios, health clubs, fitness centres, spin studios, barre studio, and dance studios can operate.

But the total number of people to include is based on occupant density of:

* One person per two sqm for venues 200 square metres or less (up to a total of 50)

* One person per four sqm for venues of 200 square metres or more

* One person per two sqm for outdoor venues

People must wear masks when exercising but not if a person is doing strenuous aerobic exercise such as high-intensity interval training, cycling, or running.

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