Gym Owner Who Refused To Close In Lockdown Has Tested Positive For Coronavirus

The gym owner who hit headlines after he refused to close his gym despite coronavirus restrictions has tested positive for coronavirus.

Nick Whitcombe, who runs Body Tech Fitness in the Wirral, was fined £1,000 after he refused to close his doors when his area was placed into Tier 3 restrictions in October.

Nick made headlines across the UK, with thousands speaking out in support, while a fundraiser set up to help him pay the fines pulled in more than £50,000.

Now, Nick has told his 90,000 Instagram followers that he tested positive for the virus on 29 December, but says he didn't contract the virus in the gym as he had been working overseas until the middle of last month and not working out at the gym.

Fortunately, Nick says he's only had 'mild' symptoms and initially believed he'd picked up a cold.

In a post, he said: "Inevitable I suppose wasn't it...

Instagram/Nick Whitcombe

"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.

"Point being person to person our symptoms manifest differently."

He added: "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."

Nick went on to say the only place he'd been to was the supermarket so he was 'genuinely unsure' where he caught it.

The gym owner appeared on TV and in other media last year, where he urged the government to reopen gyms as he felt there were an essential business to help people physical and mental health.

A crowdfunder set up to help him pay off the fines he accrued received thousands of pounds in donations, which Nick says will be used to run an event to raise awareness of mental health issues.

Topics: UK News

Claire Reid

Claire is a journalist at LADbible who, after dossing around for a few years, went to Liverpool John Moores University. She graduated with a degree in Journalism and a whole load of debt. When not writing words in exchange for money she is usually at home watching serial killer documentaries surrounded by cats. You can contact Claire at [email protected]

@ClaireReid19