The importance of swimming is fully recognised in the National Sports Policy 2018-2027. Given its particular capacity to provide lasting benefits over people's lifetimes, swimming is one of three priority participation sports identified in the Policy and is to be the subject of a specific National Swimming Strategy to be completed and published next year.
While the Government fully understands the benefits that sports such as swimming bring to people's overall health and well-being, the measures in place to suppress the disease transmission are intended to minimise the risks to public health while striking the right balance in prioritising and protecting some activities over others. Such activities include health and social care services, education and other essential needs, work and economic activity, and other key societal interests (in so far as possible) such as sports and important family gatherings.
Each level of the framework contains a “basket” of measures which are intended, collectively, to contribute to lowering risk of transmission in alignment with the risk level at that time. The set of measures, individually, do not comprise a list of activities or places which are equally safe. Instead, they are “baskets” of measures which are informed by public health understanding of the disease. The measures in place for each level reflect the prevailing disease situation and recognise that we can and must prioritise some activities over others.
Insofar as future measures are concerned , the Living with COVID-19 Framework for Restrictive Measures, published in mid-September, sets out the approach that the Government intends to take in the management of the pandemic over the period to mid-2021. The current Level 5 restrictions will continue until 2 December. The suite of measures to be applied thereafter, including for the sport sector, will be decided by Government on the basis of the prevailing public health situation and in the context of the Framework published in September.
