“We are a sacrificial lamb”: Out of lockdown, but still closed for business

Melbourne fitness facilities have been labelled as ‘high-risk environments” by the Chief Health Officer, with the peak industry body disputing the ‘ludicrous’ claims.

The Australian state of Victoria is emerging from its fourth lockdown, but heavy restrictions still remain for many ‘devastated’ sectors.

The Federal Government will no longer declare the state’s capital as a coronavirus hotspot, however this means an end to COVID-19 disaster payments for most people.

Lockdown restrictions eased in Melbourne at 11.59pm on Thursday 10th June, but heavy restrictions still remain for many businesses in both the metro and regional areas of the state.

“We are not making a sacrifice, we are more a sacrificial lamb”

Gyms in Melbourne will be closed for at least another week, a decision one owner has described as “the laughing stock of Australia”

The government has lifted restrictions for cafes, restaurants and retail to reopen from Thursday but fitness facilities will have their doors shut, for at least another week. 

This comes as Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton described these venues as “high-risk environments”.

Professor Sutton said overseas research indicated gyms were places that had “significant opportunity to spread” infections.

“I am asking gyms to make that sacrifice for a further week,” Professor Sutton said.

The CEO of peak fitness industry body, Fitness Australia, disputes the claims made by Sutton.

“Our sector has been making a sacrifice for 18 months. We are not making a sacrifice, we are more a sacrificial lamb,”

CEO of Fitness australia, barrie elvish.

Matt Georgeades owns two Body Fit Training studio’s in Melbourne’s inner west and says Sutton’s claims “are absolutely rubbish”.

In metropolitan Melbourne hospitality, hair, beauty salons and retail are among those permitted to re-open, but gyms, amusement parks, dance studios and nightclubs will remain closed.

Is the government support for closed businesses enough?

A further $8.36 million in funding has been announced to provide an additional $2000 grant to support thousands of businesses that will remain shut. 

However, Georgeades says he is wondering “where the funds are going to come from” to continue to support his small business and staff, as well as maintain outgoing expenses with “minimal support from the government”

“Clearly, the Chief Health Officer does not see the importance of people’s mental health.”

Georgeades says he “just wants to know when mental health will be held equally as important as peoples physical health”, as he has seen his members positivity decline as lockdown progressed.

The fitness industry is uniting in a “call to arms”, flooding social media of pictures standing outside empty gyms, in a bid to allow fitness facilities to open as soon as possible.