Sports on pause as tougher public health orders introduced
Team sports came to a full stop on November 27 after the Saskatchewan government introduced a series of more stringent public health orders in response to a surge in COVID-19 cases across the province.
All team sports, group sports, activities, games, competitions, recitals and practices were suspended under the new Public Health directives announced by the province this past Wednesday.
Saskatchewan’s Chief Medical Health Officer, Dr. Saqib Shahab said COVID-19 positive cases are occurring in all segments of society, but he singled out sports as a problematic area.
“It is very evident that they happen in all settings, but certainly recreational facilities and sports activities do stand out quite significantly. The challenge there of course is that if you have two or three teams playing, and the children then present those cases in schools, so many schools can get impacted. So right now that was the primary source of importation into schools through sports activities, hence the pause there,” Dr. Shahab said during a press conference on November 25.
While there is a halt in team sports, the province is allowing athletes and dancers 18 years of age and under to continue practicing and rehearsing, allowing groups of eight or fewer to participate together in conditioning and skills training, provided they abide by the required mask use and at least three metres of physical distancing between participants at all times.
In an additional requirement, mask use is now mandatory for all indoor fitness activities, except for swimming. Fitness activities and group fitness classes in groups of eight or fewer are permitted, but participants must wear masks and observe at least three metres of physical distancing between individuals.
Dr. Shahab noted that adult sports were also responsible for outbreaks which have spread into households and workplaces. This past week the Saskatchewan Health Authority issued advisories of increased COVID-19 exposure from events at the Highland Curling Club and Caledonian Curling Club in Regina, plus the Lakeland Curling Club in Christopher Lake and the Shellbrook Curling Rink and Lounge.
In a COVID-19 weekly update issued by the SHA on November 23, they reported the the top source of COVID-19 transition was Recreation/recreational facilities (ice rinks, bingo halls, bowling alleys, casinos) at 25 per cent of acquisition. Fitness centres were tied for seventh in the top 10 with six per cent of cases.
“While challenging, I think it is important to have a pause on sports and other activities,” Dr. Shahab said.
“We always knew ever since July when sports started, the nature of play is such that there is a risk of transmission even if you’re following all the guidelines and there would be occasional transmission events. But over the last two to three weeks they were becoming so frequent, and in many cases they were resulting in, for example in children’s sports, multiple cases then being imported into schools, for adult sports multiple cases then being imported into workplaces. So it was really important to have that pause for three weeks to slow down transmission in that setting.”
These additional health measures are in effect until December 17 when they will be reviewed by the provincial Chief Medical Health Officer.