England delay on ‘safe’ tennis and golf baffles expert
One of Nicola Sturgeon’s key Covid19 advisers has expressed bafflement at England’s five-week wait for socially-distanced outdoor sports such as golf and tennis to return.
Scotland announced its roadmap for exiting lockdown yesterday and, having allowed certain non-contact sports since last month, as well as gatherings of up to 13 primary schoolchildren, is set to continue with that policy.
Prof Devi Sridhar, a member of the Scottish Government advisory group and the chair of global public health at Edinburgh University Medical School, said the decision followed a calculation that the benefits to people’s mental and physical health outweighed infection risks.
There has been no evidence of clusters of Covid-19 infections relating to those activities and, for people with young children or who regularly play golf and tennis, it has allowed crucial additional interaction and opportunities to get active during this third national lockdown.
Of Monday’s announcement that tennis and golf would return at the same time as all outdoor sports, contact or non-contact, Prof Sridhar said: “I have no idea why they’re not already allowed in England. It’s great to see full tennis courts and kids in bubbles doing outdoor activities together. We need restrictions where we know transmission occurs more often and less restrictions where it is safer. Tennis and golf aren’t contact sports. Outdoor transmission is minimal – especially with distancing for outside sports.”
The governing bodies of golf and tennis in England have already outlined frustration that they must wait a further five weeks and will return recreationally at the same time as outdoor contact and team sports.
The Government has prioritised outdoor grass-roots sports ahead of almost every other section of society and it will be the first major sector to reopen, after schools, on March 29.
The Football Association has announced the grass-roots game can continue until the end of June, while the Rugby Football Union is hopeful it will also be allowed to return in late March, but is awaiting final government clearance.