Swim England chief executive Jane Nickerson is optimistic that good progress is being made after Government and public health officials were shown how facilities can operate safely with a tour of four pools.
The delegation, led by Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, and public health officials, were taken around four indoor and outdoor pools.
Recommendations from the delegation to reopen pools, following Swim England guidance published last month, will be made to Government ministers.
It all followed Nickerson’s heated response to the news last week that the easing of lockdown restrictions in England did not include the reopening of pools.
Photo Courtesy: Swim England
Nickerson called for scientific evidence as to why they remained closed while Swim England launched the #OpenOurPools campaign which won backing from past and present Olympic champions Becky Adlington and Adam Peaty.
A petition collected more than 50,000 signatures which was then handed to the Government demanding a review into the decision which came as a hammer blow, compounded by the news that Prime Minister Boris Johnson had given the green light for pubs, restaurants, hair salons, cinemas and museums to open for business once again from this coming Saturday.
The countdown is now on to what is being called #SuperSaturday – unfortunate to say the least when London 2012 featured a night at the athletics stadium in the Olympic Park during which Jessica Ennis-Hill, Mo Farah and Greg Rutherford all won gold for Great Britain.
That was also given the sobriquet #SuperSaturday but there is an uncomfortable irony given that night eight years ago represented the pinnacle of physical achievement and this coming 4 July is predicted to be one of human excess.
Neither does it escape notice that Johnson was then the Mayor of London and was happy to bask in the glow of athletic success.
Nickerson said in a statement from Swim England:
“Yesterday, we presented our petition to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and we thank everyone again for the support they have given to our #OpenOurPools campaign.
“I am pleased to update everyone that the visit today was positive. We still await an official announcement when pools can reopen again but we see this a positive sign that things are moving in the right direction.”
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She’s positive (not for Covid-19) after visit to four pools. Glad I clicked and actually read the story. ?
Amy Alvano optimistic would have been the better word for the title – but they made you click on it – which was the point!
Poor choice of words … agree that using the word OPTIMISTIC would have been much better