SINGAPORE - Low-intensity physical activities will be allowed to take place at public and private gyms and fitness studios from Saturday (May 8), Sport Singapore (SportSG) announced in an updated advisory on Friday night.

This follows the Government's announcement of tighter Covid-19 measures on Tuesday, and the national sports agency's advisory for sport and physical activities on Thursday to curb the transmission of Covid-19 within the community.

The new measures had included the closure of indoor gyms and indoor fitness facilities such as yoga and pilates studios from May 8 to 30.

They applied to those operated by commercial enterprises, national sports associations, country clubs, golf clubs, private apartments, condominiums and charities.

Indoor sports facilities such as badminton halls, basketball courts and climbing gyms will continue to remain open because the SportSG directive applies only to "enclosed, confined indoor spaces where participants are likely to be engaging in strenuous activities unmasked".

However, SportSG said on Friday that low-risk activities can continue under strict safe management measures through this heightened alert period, with all participants and instructors required to wear masks at all times. Such low-risk activities were defined as those that are low intensity in nature and "where all participants and instructors are wearing masks at all times, and where there is no sharing of any common equipment". Among the activities it cited were yoga, Pilates, stretching exercises and tai chi but it noted that "there may have to be some modification to how it is done, e.g. without the use of equipment, during this period of time".

In an updated advisory issued on Saturday, SportSG also added that no indoor fitness training facility "will be allowed to offer weight, strength or resistance training of any form, and/or provide equipment for such training, as these are associated with strenuous activities".

It also clarified that private sports academies such as those for gymnastics or martial arts, whose set-ups are similar to indoor gyms, can remain open if they adhere to the updated safety guidelines. More details are available at the SportSG website.

Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong said the changes were the result of talks with business owners and professionals in the sport and fitness industry, including with Singapore Fitness Alliance, National Instructors and Coaches Association, FitnessSG, and NMP Mark Chay.

"This will ease the pressure for some; but I should emphasise that strict safe management measures will have to be adhered to at all times," Mr Tong wrote in a Facebook post, adding that there was a need to strike a balance between protecting the community from the increased number of cases and the livelihoods of those in the sports industry.

"In addition, for those which will have to remain closed, we are working on financial support measures to help those affected by the closures. These will be built on top of the existing measures which sports industry operators currently already have access to. We will announce them shortly."

The update came on a day when the Singapore Sports Hub said it would tighten safe management measures across all its venues and facilities.

The Sports Hub Gym, Sports Hub Fitness Studio, and Kids Water Playground at Splash-N-Surf will be closed from May 8-30.

A Sports Hub spokesman added that across the gyms and fitness programmes there, passes will have valid dates extended and classes will be rescheduled.

While most venues and facilities will remain open and activities will continue, they will be limited to no more than five people in a group, it added. Outdoor classes will have no more than 30 people per session.

Located on a 35ha site in Kallang, the Sports Hub includes facilities such as the National Stadium, the OCBC Arena and OCBC Aquatic Centre, the Water Sports Centre and the 100Plus Promenade.