Since sites reopened in England, followed by Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the ukactive Research Institute has continued to collect aggregated data on a weekly basis from more than 1,500 facilities across the UK, representing more than 77 million visits from April to August.

The latest results show an overall rate of just one case per 100,000 visits, measured from 12 April 2021 to 15 August 2021, indicating that rates of Covid-19 among the gym-going population remain low and that safety measures taken by facilities continue to be effective.

Gyms and leisure facilities have continued to follow strict protocols to help reduce the spread of the virus, including proper ventilation throughout and comprehensive cleaning protocols. 

The sector’s data compares favourably to Covid-19 rates among the general population as reported by the government, which for the same period measure 160.6 cases for every 100,000 people living in the UK.

Gym and leisure centre operators are well positioned to capture real-time data effectively, based on membership details held within their databases, as well as recording details for all users, in line with relevant data protection requirements. 

This allows for quick and relevant contact tracing if there is a case reported by someone who has visited a facility and then gone on to test positive.

The sites reporting data represent a mixture of facility types, including gyms, leisure centres and boutiques, as well as different operating models, including private multi-site chains, public leisure trusts and independent operators and studios.

Data from ukactive members will also help to inform the picture in Europe, feeding into the second THiNK Active study on COVID-19, to be published by Europe Active in September.