Commercial swimming pools will be allowed to reopen this weekend as the ACT government begins easing COVID-19 restrictions on sport.
However operators of some commercial pools don't plan to reopen until later stages of the relaxation of measures against the coronavirus, saying it was not financially viable for them to reopen yet.
The ACT government will ease restrictions on pools from midnight on Friday, allowing them to reopen for small groups of up to 10 people per pool and one swimmer per lane.
While pools can open, the territory government said the decision remained a commercial one for individual operators.
It is understood that pools at the Canberra International Sports and Aquatic Centre, and at the ANU, have decided that reopening this weekend would not be commercially viable and operators are waiting for further restrictions to lift.
Government-owned pools, including Gungahlin Pool, Canberra Olympic Pool, Tuggeranong Pool, and Erindale Active Leisure Centre, will also not yet reopen as they undergo maintenance and upgrade works.
The ACT government said government-owned outdoor pools at Dickson and Manuka remain closed for winter as usual.
It also announced non-contact social sporting activity can recommence in outdoor spaces with a maximum of 10 people from midnight on Friday.
Senior and junior Canberra sporting teams will be allowed to train in groups of 10 or fewer from Saturday in the first step towards restarting weekend competitions.
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The ACT government moved to eradicate confusion for sports, who felt they had been left in the lurch after coronavirus restrictions were eased last week.
The department of sport and recreation was expected to host a meeting with all Canberra major sports on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the process and required return to play protocols before they were given clearance to resume training.
Competition play is unlikely to start until July, while indoor sporting facility restrictions have not changed. Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the ACT would not see a return to community football competitions just yet.
"This is to allow for training, whether that is through community clubs, commercial providers, high performance training programs or individual activities," he said.
"Should this first phase be a success, further restrictions can be eased in the coming months."
- For information on COVID-19, please go to the ACT Health website or the federal Health Department's website.
- You can also call the Coronavirus Health Information Line on 1800 020 080
- If you have serious symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, call Triple Zero (000)
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