Hong Kong gym owners drown in paperwork waiting on delayed second round of Covid-19 relief funding
- A second round of Covid-19 relief, half of the first, was promised to the fitness industry in September
- Now closing in on six months, many gym owners say they are in a frustratingly endless back and forth with government officials
Fitness centre operator Brian Siew says the government’s inaction on a second round of relief subsidy for the fitness industry is essentially draining the city of talent by the day.
Siew, who runs BusyBody Fitness Centre which opened in Shek Mun in late 2019, is one of hundreds of small business owners still waiting on a second round of funding (HK$50,000) first promised in September.
“Many talented people are deciding to leave [Hong Kong], if not the industry as no signal has come from the government,” said Siew. “With no light in sight, many have given up. This is a lost to the Hong Kong fitness industry and Hong Kong in general. If we were able to get the subsidies in a timely manner and a clearer picture of strategy from the government, we would have planned and the talents would be able to look at solutions to their financial woes.”
Hong Kong’s gyms, fitness centres and the city’s overall sport and recreation scene are paying a heavy price in the fight against the coronavirus. Most venues have been closed for nearly 150 days since the start of the pandemic and the only financial relief offered was HK$100,000 last summer, which many small boutique gyms and fitness centres said they weren’t eligible for in the first place.
Now, as the city endures a fourth wave, gym owners find themselves shut down again and unable to make money once again. Many find themselves on the verge of bankruptcy or permanent closure, while dozens have already closed for good.