The owner of a Bedford gym has announced he will not be shutting his gym despite laws saying he must do so.
Alex with his document.
Alex Lowndes, who runs the gym with his partner Amber, believes gyms are a vital part of keeping people fit and healthy, and is refusing to shut despite the government saying they must do so.
He announced from Thursday he won’t be closing the gym, or stopping people using his equipment, stating that gyms aren’t a problem in the pandemic.
He said in a video: “We have done a lot of thinking and we have decided that we are actually going to stay open.
“The reasons for that are laid out in a document that we have prepared which is two full pages – contains a lot of facts, a lot of relevant information.”
He continued: “No, this isn’t Liverpool, this isn’t Tier 3, this is national lockdown.
“The same arguments apply, the same logic, the same facts.
“Gyms are part of the solution here, not part of the problem.
“We need to be allowed to stay open. We are going to stay open.
“We hope that becomes legal in time.”
“Unfortunately, as true as some of what he’s saying could be, and despite his intentions being good, he could be looking at a very large fine if authorities turn up on Thursday and find his business open.
Test and Trace data showed that gyms accounted for around 3% of total UK infections in previous weeks – that’s compared to 10% + in bars and 12% in supermarkets.
Alex believes that a cut in VAT on sports and fitness equipment would be beneficial to the country if gyms are to stay shut, and criticised the fact the government potentially contributed to obesity, a dangerous condition which gives covid patients a worse prognosis, by cutting the prices on unhealthy food back in August.
