New guidelines in place as sports set to resume in the ‘new normal’ era |13 May 2020

The recommencement of sports activities will occur in a cautious, gradual and methodical manner guided by a new framework

It has been proven that sports make an important contribution to the physical, psychological and emotional well-being of any society.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has however had devastating effects on communities globally and locally, leading to significant restrictions on all sectors of the society, including sports.

Sports being a much followed and practiced tradition, the resumption of the latter in early June will surely and significantly contribute to the re-establishment of normality in the local society, despite without the previous flair, due to some much-needed adjustment, all in line with recommendations from health professionals to help prevent, or contain the spread of the deadly virus.

To ease and guide the local resumption process, the local sport’s governing body in collaboration with the department of health came up with a new framework based on current best evidence, international practices and guidelines from international sports federations and organisations for the continuation of sports and related activities.

The new framework is a timely tool for how the recommencement of sports activities will occur in a cautious, gradual and methodical manner.

All decisions regarding the timing of resumption of sporting activities, or the ‘when’ shall be made in close consultation with the different local sports federations and the Public Health Authority (PHA), while the priority at all times remain to preserve public health and minimise the risks of community transmission.

The resumption of sports activities will be a gradual process, with three levels of descriptors of activities, along with associated hygiene and physical distancing recommended measures.

Preparation for resumption includes education of the athletes and other personnel, assessment of the sport environment and agreement on training schedules to accommodate social distancing.

The approach to training should focus on “get in, train, get out”, minimising unnecessary contact in changing rooms, bathrooms and communal areas.

Prior to resumption, sporting organisations should have agreed protocols in place for management of illness in athletes and other personnel, while special consideration should be taken for para-athletes and others with medical conditions as they may be more vulnerable to a COVID-19 infection.

Clubs and individuals should apply a graded return to mitigate injury risk, with a clear understanding that sudden increase in training load will increase the risks of injuries.

The framework also incorporates consideration of the differences between low risk and high-risk sports – contact and non-contact sports – as well as indoor and outdoor activities.

While the three phases of the framework provide a general guide, the respective federations may provide guidance on the timing of introduction of various levels of sport participation with regard to risk mitigation strategies and public health capacity.

At all times, local sport organisations must respect the directives of the department of health and other related authorities, while localised outbreaks may require sporting organisations to again restrict activities and organisers must be ready to respond accordingly.

The detection of a positive COVID-19 case in a sporting or recreation club or organisation will result in a standard public health response, which could include the quarantine of a whole team or large group, as well as close contacts, for the required period.

The sporting environment, including training and competition venues should be assessed to ensure that necessary precautions are taken to minimise risk to those involved in sports, along with those attending sporting events as spectators where and when permissible.

The safety and well-being of the Seychellois community will remain the top priority in any further and specific decisions about the resumption of sports and related activities

Roland Duval