New third national lockdown in Yorkshire: Gyms closing and exercise rules explained

What are the rules for gyms and why are they closing?

Gyms across Yorkshire and the whole of England will be ordered to close during the third national lockdown.

All indoor gyms and sports facilities will be forced to stay closed.

Outdoor sports courts, including tennis, outdoor gyms, golf courses, outdoor swimming pools, archery, driving and shooting ranges and riding arenas must also close.

Organised outdoor sport for disabled people is allowed to continue.

Although cases in Yorkshire remain much lower than London and the South East, the infection rate has begun to rise quickly.

These are the Yorkshire areas with the lowest and highest infection rates.

--> Schools must also close under the new national lockdown rules

Where can I exercise, who with and how often?

You can exercise in a public outdoor space:

- by yourself

- with the people you live with

- with your support bubble (if you are legally permitted to form one)

- in a childcare bubble where providing childcare

- or, when on your own, with 1 person from another household

Public outdoor places include:

- parks, beaches, countryside accessible to the public, forests

- public gardens (whether or not you pay to enter them)

- the grounds of a heritage site

- playgrounds

Exercise with your household (or support bubble) or one other person should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area to exercise.

People are reminded that when around other people or when exercising with others legally in the instances mentioned, you should stay two metres apart from anyone not in your household - meaning the people you live with - or your support bubble. Where this is not possible, stay one metre apart with extra precautions (e.g. wearing a face covering).

--> All the new rules

When do these new lockdown rules start in Yorkshire? And when will gyms be able to re-open again?

The lockdown will begin on Wednesday morning, ie just after 11.59pm on Tuesday evening, and is expected to be in effect until at least February half term, so it is roughly six weeks at a minimum.

It is not guaranteed that gyms will be able to re-open as soon as the lockdown ends, however.

Boris Johnson said: "By the middle of February, we expect to have offered the first vaccine dose to everyone in the top four priority groups. That means all residents of a care home and their carers, everyone over the age of 70, all frontline health and social care workers and everyone clinically extremely vulnerable. If we succeed in vaccinating all those groups, we will have removed those people from the path of the virus.

"There is a time lag between getting the jab and immunity and there is a further lag on the impact on the NHS. If the rollout of the vaccine programmes continue to be successful and if deaths start to fall as the vaccine takes effect, and if everyone plays their part.

"I know how tough this is and I know you have had more than enough of government guidance in beating this virus.

"You must once again stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives."

The country will also move to alert level 5, which means NHS capacity may well be overwhelmed in 21 days

The Prime Minister said the UK is now rolling out the 'biggest vaccination programme in our history', adding that the arrival of the UK's Oxford vaccine means the pace of vaccination is accelerating.

High street pharmacy and beauty retailer, Boots, will be opening two vaccination sites in West Yorkshire

--> Non essential shops will also be closed in Yorkshire - see the full details on shops and businesses closed here