ALL gyms, pools and sports facilities will be able to open in Bradford from Tuesday - but restrictions on households meeting remain in place. 

The announcement was made by the Department for Health and Social Care this evening.

Indoor swimming pools, including water parks, indoor fitness and dance studios, indoor gyms and sports courts and facilities, will be able to lawfully reopen from September 8, along with casinos, skating rinks, bowling alleys, exhibition halls, conference centres, and indoor play areas, including soft play areas.

Socially distanced indoor performances will also be able to resume, and remaining restrictions on certain close contact services including treatments on the face like eyebrow threading or make-up - will be lifted. 

However, there will be no change to overall local restrictions in the Bradford district and the current restrictions on gatherings will remain in place.

Bradford Council Leader Susan Hinchcliffe said: “This week the Government have decided that there will be no change in restrictions for the vast majority of people in the Bradford district.

“I’m relieved however that it’s good news that gyms, swimming pools and other sport and leisure businesses can open across the whole district from next Tuesday, rather than only in Shipley constituency and in three wards of Keighley constituency. 

“I know it will be good news for those gym and other fitness business owners.

“Good news also for casinos and soft play areas that were originally scheduled to re-open on August 15 but were prevented by Government from doing so. 

“These can now reopen too.

“We continue to be concerned about high infection rates in the district and the fact that continuing different arrangements in some wards confuse the public health messages and also confuse residents about what they can and can’t do. 

“We’ll continue to support people and provide advice and guidance wherever they are. 

“We are focusing on further developing local test and trace as the principal tool to help us bring infection rates down as quickly as possible. 

“The faster those rates fall, the stronger our case for removing restrictions across the whole district will be.

 “We would encourage everyone, no matter where they live, to do the right thing and get themselves tested if they think they have symptoms or are contacted by local or national test and trace. 

“And everyone should also follow the simple health messages – stay apart (two metres), wash your hands regularly and wear a face covering where it is required.”

Terry Holt, owner of The Pride gym in Low Moor, has spoken of his relief at the news.

He said: "We’re absolutely delighted with the news that facilities in the district can open. We’ve all maintained that when operated safely and within the guidelines, fitness facilities offer little to no threat to case levels and there is a lot of data to support this.

"Most of all the joy is in enabling members to return to places that they can improve their health in various ways that can’t be done outdoors, seek a place to get away from stresses and offer some normality back to their routines. There’s a long road to recovery and stabilisation for gyms, dance, yoga, martial arts studios and many more.

"With that in mind we encourage Bradford Council to continue pushing the Government for funding to support the sector after what has been a debacle of a lockdown for the facilities involved by local and national authorities. This continues to threaten family run businesses and will do for some time.

"In addition, we encourage the council to work with facilities in the future in managing situations like this and will be offering suggestions for such frameworks and collaborative working."

Meanwhile, there has been a surge in new Covid-19 cases in Bradford over the past week. Figures show the infection rate, expressed as the number of new cases per 100,000 people, rose from 42.8 (231 cases)  in the seven days to August 25  to 63.2 (341) cases in the seven days to September 1.

Latest figures for the Bradford district show Shearbridge & University, Manningham & Lister Park, Thornbury, Barkerend East and Canterbury as the top five areas for new Covid-19 cases.

Some businesses in the district have had to take action because of Covid cases.

The Vodafone store in the The Broadway shopping centre has had to temporarily close this week after a member of staff tested positive for coronavirus. The rest of the staff are now self-isolating, Vodafone confirmed, while the store has also been deep-cleaned.

It is expected to re-open again tomorrow.

Meanwhile, a cafe in Bingley has been forced to temporarily close after a staff member tested positive for Covid-19. 

The Five Rise Locks Cafe shared the news in a statement on its website.
It said: “It is with regret we have had to close the café due to a staff member having tested positive for Coronavirus.

“We must protect staff and customers, therefore until all staff have been tested and given the all clear the cafe will unfortunately remain closed.

“Apologies for any inconvenience this has caused, and we will update customers in due course.”

Cases also emerged at some schools in the Dixons Academies Trust as the new term began, and there were concerns about social distancing outside some other schools in Bradford.