Gym owner who was fined £1,000 for breaching Covid rules by refusing to close his business during lockdown tests positive for coronavirus
- Nick Whitcombe was fined £1,000 when he refused to close his gym in Moreton
- He tested positive for coronavirus on December 29 and has had mild symptoms
- He has stressed he is not a ‘covid denier’ after receiving online abuse from some
A gym owner who was fined £1,000 for breaching Covid rules by refusing to close his business during lockdown has tested positive for coronavirus.
Nick Whitcombe was fined by Merseyside Police when he wouldn’t close his gym, Body Tech Fitness, in Moreton, Wirral, Merseyside, on October 14, in breach of coronavirus regulations at the time.
The newly introduced Tier 3 rules, imposed by central Government to stem the spread of the virus, meant gyms in the Liverpool City Region were ordered to close.
However, when Lancashire entered Tier 3 shortly afterwards, the county was allowed to keep its gyms open, prompting an outcry from Merseyside leaders and eventually a change in policy.
He tested positive for the virus on December 29 and has told how he has been experiencing mild symptoms including fatigue, a raised temperature and a sore throat.
Mr Whitcombe has said he did not contract the virus in his gym as he had been working abroad until mid December and has not been training.
Gym owner Nick Whitcombe (pictured) refused to close his business under coronavirus restrictions in October and has now revealed he has tested positive for Covid-19
Announcing the result to his 91,000 followers on Instagram, he said: ‘Inevitable I suppose wasn’t it…
‘I had what I thought was an extremely mild cold, minus one night of a high temp, the only symptoms I can report are a slightly runny nose and I’ve slept an extra hour for the last nine days.
‘One of my close friends has it too, similar age, vegetarian diet, non smoker, it’s hit him like a moderate flu, much harder than me.
Mr Whitcombe, who made appearances on TV about his case, said he had refused to close as he felt gyms were essential to the physical and mental health of the population
‘Point being person to person our symptoms manifest differently.’
Mr Whitcombe said: ‘I have elderly relatives who mean the world to me who would not survive this, I have a partner with respiratory issues and would likely be hospitalised.
‘Caution is unquestionably warranted.
‘It’s important for me to continue to mention in each post that although I am anti-lockdown, I am not anti-Covid.’
He was fined £1,000 by Merseyside Police when he refused to close his gym, Body Tech Fitness (pictured), in Moreton, Wirral, Merseyside, on October 14, in breach of coronavirus regulations at the time
Mr Whitcombe, who made appearances on TV about his case, said he had refused to close his gym in October as he felt gyms were essential to the physical and mental health of the population.
He stressed he is not a ‘covid denier’ after receiving online abuse from some, although he has received criticism for suggesting the risks of Covid, which has killed in excess of 75,000 people in the UK, are ‘exaggerated’ for healthy people.
Mr Whitcombe told how he did not contract the virus in his gym as he had been working abroad until mid December and has not been training.
He said: ‘The only place I’ve been is supermarkets, genuinely unsure where or who I caught it from.’
Mr Whitcombe added he is planning to use £53,000 raised during a crowdfunding campaign to host an event next year to raise awareness around mental health – involving local gyms and charities.