Swimmers and pool owners yesterday appealed to the government for guidelines to reopen aquatic centers, as restrictions amid COVID-19 alerts are threatening the swimming pool industry and training regimens.
At a news conference hosted by Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) lawmakers, pool owners said that on Tuesday they would lodge a formal petition with the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
Pools have been closed since a nationwide level 3 COVID-19 alert was imposed on May 19, they said, adding that despite the government on Tuesday lowering the alert to level 2 and lifting some restrictions, pools were not given any leeway.
Photo provided by the office of Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Tsai Pi-ru
Support for the petition shows that many pool owners are on the brink of financial ruin, said Lin Kuei-ku (林歸谷), who initiated the petition.
We would love to give the government more time to look into possible measures, but we cannot wait more than one week, Lin said.
Swimmer Hsu Han-peng (許涵棚) and a coach, Huang Chiao-le (黃巧樂), said that they hoped to return to training.
Swimmers must train in the water — weight training is not enough, they said.
TPP Legislator Tsai Pi-ru (蔡壁如) said that “water-resistant” masks should be developed for swimmers, as well as other measures to shield them after they exit the pool.
TPP Legislator Chiu Chen-yuan (邱臣遠) said that if pools are not allowed to reopen in the summer — when they make most of their money — there might be mass closures of such facilities nationwide.
The government’s haste to show support for sports by congratulating athletes at at the Tokyo Olympics is undercut by their lack of attention to domestic athletes, TPP Legislator Anne Kao (高虹安) said.
Tainan’s team are considering not attending the National Games, as their swimmers could not train for the event, Kao said.
Suitable relaxation of regulations, as adopted at the Tokyo Olympics, should be referenced so that athletes’ training does not go to waste, she said.
Taiwan Swimming Pool Association president Huang Cheng-chang (黃正昌) and WDYG Corp chief executive officer Tu Cheng-chung (杜正忠) — citing the WHO, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the British National Health Service — said that COVID-19 infection is mitigated when swimming as long as preventive measures are followed and the water is sufficiently chlorinated.
Swimmers are usually spaced such that they exceed the recommended 5m of social distance, Tu said, adding that there is no reason for pools to remain closed while gyms have been allowed to reopen.
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