Staff photo before COVID
Student athletes can now start preparing for a return to the court and ice.
Less than 24 hours after releasing a back-to-school plan, the provincial government has had a change of heart and is now allowing high-contact activities indoors.
Initially, high-contact activities were only going to be allowed outdoors with low-contact activities permitted indoors.
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Kieran Moore says they made the decision after consulting with local health officials across the province as well as Athletic Associations.
“Certainly, within your cohort, it was going to be allowed, but we would like to allow broad base participation in those sports knowing that we want to have as close to a return to normal as we can and have the benefit of the social, mental and physical well-being of our children. It’s a risk reduction strategy, there’s never a complete risk elimination, but we think it’s prudent,” Dr. Moore.
Dr. Moore believes it’s reasonable, and the province wants kids to participate in sports like hockey or volleyball.
He stresses all the major mandates will be in place to protect children that are participating in those sports.
“We think with the combination of screening, having rapid access to testing if anyone develops any symptoms, high vaccination rates in our communities, and hand-hygiene, that it is reasonable to be able to allow basketball to continue as well as hockey.”
