Minister of Sports Dr. Ernest Peets released a statement in the Senate related to the return to Sports policy.
Madam President, I want to open today by stating that this Government and my Ministry are deeply committed to sport in the country. Sport is considered one of the bedrocks of our community and we fully recognize and embrace the critical role that sport plays in the social, physical, mental and emotional wellbeing in Bermuda.
Likewise, we understand that the necessary restrictions and limits imposed by Covid-19 have been a blow to the sporting community and we appreciate everyone’s patience and collaboration as Bermuda battles through this pandemic to keep our people safe and our economy open.
Although the setback from the most recent outbreak was a blow to all of us, I understand the pain and frustration it caused the sporting community. We must remember that people have lost their livelihoods and, indeed, some have lost their lives in this outbreak. So we have to keep suffering in perspective. However, it is absolutely clear that sport and cultural activities have felt the pain too – physically, mentally and financially.
Admittedly we have missed the routine of attending and engaging in regularly scheduled sporting activities during this time. Perhaps this has been made harder when we see more sport taking place in other countries in ways that Bermuda has not been able to practice.
Consequently, it was a relief to all of us when the country entered Phase 2 of our reopening plan, which allowed my Ministry to re-open sports on Stage 2 of the “Return to Play” Guidance. As before, individual sports can apply to operate at Stage 3, and the Department of Youth Sport and Recreation welcomes applications and operational plans to allow as much sport to take place as can be done safely while the country still has community transmission.
Stage 2 of the Return to Play Guidance allows for team training within the requirements permitted by the Emergency Regulations: Groups of 10, No contact, 6 feet between participants, Masks except during physical exertion, 30 minutes between groups to allow for cleaning, and No fans.
While Stage 2 activities are permitted, we remind the athletes and their families that household mixing raises the risk of Covid spread and is discouraged and should be kept to a minimum while Bermuda continues to have community transmission. Sporting groups are not a bubble and all precautions should be practiced during Stage 2 activities, as with all our day to day activities. Avoid the 3 C’s: closed spaces, crowded places and close contact.
As I said earlier, individual, non-contact sports may apply to the Department of Youth, Sport and Recreation with their operational plan to progress to Stage 3. As before, adults entering Stage 3 require a Covid-19 saliva test, which has to be repeated monthly. Tests can be booked online at the public test sites. However, immunised athletes don’t need to be tested for Stage 3 purposes. And Individual NSGBs can require more testing for adults, immunised and children according to their needs and standards. As a reminder, sports approved for Stage 3 must still operate within the group size permitted by the public health emergency regulations – currently 10 persons. To gather in larger numbers approval first needs to be obtained from the Minister of National Security.
Madam President, I’m pleased that as we progress through our reopening plan, we can return to the very thing that bring us mental and physical wellbeing during such trying times: sport and exercise. I ask our athletes to please cooperate and follow the guidance to keep themselves, their teams and Bermuda safe. Limit household mixing as much as possible. We want to get to the next reopening Phase in June and it will take diligence on all our parts to keep the Covid numbers going down and prevent another wave of illness and deaths.
|
