SINGAPORE — From Sept 1, outdoor exercise classes will be allowed to resume if certain conditions, including the presence of an instructor and temperature screening, are met.

In a statement on Friday (Aug 21), the Ministry of Health (MOH) said that exercise classes, currently confined to private and public sports facilities, will be allowed at more open spaces at sports centres run by national sports governing body Sport Singapore (SportSG), parks and common areas of Housing and Development Board blocks.

These classes must be organised by an instructor who will be responsible for ensuring that Covid-19 safe management measures are in place.

The required measures include temperature screening and screening for symptoms, safe distancing, and maintaining a list of participants at venues where the SafeEntry digital check-in system is not available.

MOH said that instructors must be registered to carry out these activities. The authorities will release more information on the registration process later.

“Instructors and participants should follow the stipulated safe management measures as well as any other conditions stipulated by the premise owner,” MOH said. 

“General group exercises that are not organised by these instructors will continue to be capped at five persons, in addition to any conditions stipulated by the premise owner.”

At a press conference on Friday evening by the multi-ministerial task force overseeing Singapore’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, its co-chair Lawrence Wong, who is also Education Minister, said that the rule change means that taiji and qigong instructors with the People’s Association, for instance, would be able to resume their classes.

SportSG will release more information on the rules in the coming days, he added.   

Since Singapore entered Phase Two of its economic reopening on June 19, exercise classes conducted by instructors have been allowed at private and public sports facilities, subject to the permission of, and conditions laid out by, the owners of these premises.

Up to 50 people may take part in these classes, depending on the capacity of the venues and safe distancing measures. Participants stay in groups of five, keeping 2m apart from one another — unless the activity requires otherwise — and 3m between groups.