Swimming pools closed nationwide as part of the UK’s coronavirus lockdown from 23 March.

As many public facilities, shops and services are starting to ease lockdown measures, swimming pools may prove difficult to reopen in a way that complies with social distancing and enhanced hygiene measures.

There is no solid date for when pools will reopen, although it certainly won’t be any earlier than 4 July, when the third stage of Boris Johnson’s “roadmap” for easing restrictions begins.

National governing body Swim England has proposed a “stricter regime” that would allow pools to reopen safely. Here’s everything you need to know.

When will pools in the UK reopen?

The earliest possible date in England would be 4 July, although it is by no means certain that swimming pools will be able to open from that time.

There’s also no firm date in Scotland, but the devolved parliament has said indoor leisure facilities will remain closed until phase three of its plan for easing lockdown – the country is currently in stage one of the plan.

Wales and Northern Ireland have both said leisure centres will not reopen until step four of their coronavirus road maps is reached.

Even once they have the go-ahead, swimming pools will need advance warning in order to prepare.

Richard Lamburn, head of facilities for Swim England, has said they would ideally want three weeks’ notice.

“A lot of pools have never closed before so we’ve been providing the guidance and support needed to local authorities and operators to ensure they were safely shut down and maintained,” he said.

Pools will need to be re-heated, which can only be done at an increase of 0.25 degrees an hour, and water must pass a micro-biological test before they can reopen to the public.

Can I swim at the beach?

Technically yes, but the current guidelines advise that you should only swim in the sea if there’s a lifeguard present. It follows several serious injuries over the weekend incurred by people jumping from the cliffs into the sea at Durdle Door in Dorset.

Wild swimming or open water swimming – done outdoors in lakes, rivers and other outdoor bodies of water – falls within the bounds of “outdoor activity” allowed under lockdown, according to Swim England.

However, the organisation is advising that only competent and experienced open water swimmers participate in this form of exercise and that they adhere to social distancing guidelines while doing so.

“Even then, we ask that swimmers consider the risks to themselves and others whilst participating in this activity as the majority of locations will not have lifeguards and there is a real risk of cold water shock at this time of year,” says Swim England.

Some man-made open water swimming facilities are closed due to fears of overcrowding, including the Ponds at Hampstead Heath and the Serpentine, both in London.

What measures would allow pools to reopen safely?

Swim England is working with Public Health England to compile guidelines enabling pools in England to reopen. These are still being finalised, but should be published by 15 June.

Swim England’s chief executive Jane Nickerson has said that updated measures could include capping the number of people entering facilities, limiting the number of people in the water at any one time, and closing changing rooms, showers and communal areas. Swimmers would be asked to arrive in their costumes – “beach ready” – instead of using onsite facilities.

Doesn’t chlorine kill off all the germs anyway?

It’s very likely, yes. Professor Keith Neal, emeritus professor of epidemiology of infectious diseases at the University of Nottingham, told the BBC that chlorine was “very easily able to inactivate most viruses including Covid-19”.

The main issue is ensuring social distancing is maintained in public areas such as changing rooms and around the pool.

Will any pools close for good?

Around 500 pools may have to shut permanently as a result of financial problems caused by Covid and the lockdown.

Duncan Goodhew, an Olympic gold-medallist and president of Swimathon, the world’s largest annual fundraising swim, told Radio 4’s Today programme that, of the 5,000 public pools in England, 10 per cent might be forced to close for good.

“A little like a restaurant, it becomes very difficult economically to make it work because you’re just not getting the volume of people through,” he said of the pools which would be too “old, inefficient and expensive to run”.

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