According to amended COVID-19 regulations, school sports, tournaments, extra curricular activities, and physical education may all resume, reports IOL.
“The following activities are permitted and may resume, without any spectators, subject to compliance with hygiene and safety measures to prevent and combat the spread of Covid-19, and with social distancing measures pertaining to gatherings, as contemplated in regulation 72(6) of the regulations.”
As of March 27, interschool, district, provincial, and national sport tournaments are permitted. This includes spelling Bees, choir practice or rehearsals, choir competitions, and interschool choir events. Spectators are still not allowed, however.
Here are the guidelines reported:
- There must be only one controlled entrance to the venue;
- All participants and any person who enters the venue must undergo health and temperature screening before the warm-up or the event;
- Hand sanitisers must be available at the entrance gate and every person who enters the venue must sanitise their hands;
- Participants and officials must sanitise their hands before and after a match or event;
- A person who leaves the venue temporarily and returns again must undergo the process of health and temperature screening, and hand sanitising;
- A register of all officials and pupils from visiting and hosting schools attending the school match or event must be kept by the hosting school for at least 21 days and must contain the following information of officials and learners. This is for contact-tracing purposes. The register should include the full names, residential address, cellphone number, telephone number or email address, and contact details of the person or persons living in the same residence as the person attending training or a school match or event.
- A digital registration and health screening platform, such as the Teacher Connect Application, may also be used to assist with the administration of the registration process.
- Should any attendees at the sports match or event show Covid-19 symptoms or have an increased temperature above 38°C, that person must be refused access to the venue.
- A maximum of 100 persons for indoor venues and 250 persons for outdoor venues.
- A half-metre distance between persons must be observed, and not more than 50% of the capacity of the venue may be used, subject to strict adherence to all health protocols and social distancing measures.
- Participants must always wear face masks, except when participating in an event.
- For interschool, district, provincial or national matches or tournaments that include travelling, the guest school must supply the hosting school with a list of pupils’ names three days before the event.
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