Yahoo Finance Group sizes for sports to be increased from 5 to 8 in Phase 3 of reopening
SINGAPORE — Group sizes for sports activities will be increased from five to eight, when Singapore’s Phase 3 reopening begins on Monday (28 December).
Respective sports may also resume normal activities within this group size limitation, said Sport Singapore (SportSG) in an updated advisory released on Thursday.
Examples of sports that will be able to restart are sepak takraw (three players per team), four-by-four modified basketball and futsal, and up to eight rowers in a dragonboat.
Sports facilities’ maximum number based on 8 sqm per person
Besides the group-size rule, sports and physical exercises and activities may resume in Phase 3 under these additional conditions:
Sports and recreational facilities can only admit a maximum number of persons according to its gross floor area based on 8 square metres per person, up from 10 square metres per person in Phase 2. No facility, regardless of size, shall admit more than 50 persons without specific approval by Sport Singapore.
Physical distancing of 2 metres (two arms-length) between individuals should be maintained in general while exercising and playing sport. A physical distancing of 3 metres between individuals should be observed for indoors high-intensity or high-movement exercise classes.
If there is more than one sports group sharing a space, the groups must not interact and must maintain a distance of 3 metres apart from one another at all times.
For organised programmes and classes, an additional service provider (such as an instructor or a coach) from a permitted enterprise may guide the group.
Contact sports are permitted, but sports with prolonged grappling (such as wrestling, mixed martial arts and jiu jitsu) are strongly advised to adopt cohorting arrangements – no participant changes groups without observing a 14-day cooling period – to manage infection risks.
Face masks should be worn as a default. They can be taken off when performing strenuous exercise, although it is still recommended as good practice. Coaches and instructors should wear masks when giving instruction, but may take their masks off when demonstrating strenuous actions. Swim instructors are not required to wear masks due to the nature of activity.
Sharing of common equipment should be avoided. Personal equipment should not be shared. If this cannot be done, then equipment should be wiped down or sanitised frequently. This includes gym equipment such as weights, and sport equipment such as basketballs.
Fitness activities organisers and operators should resume operations only when they can comply with safe management measures.
More open spaces to participate in sports activities
ActiveSG stadiums, studios, gyms, indoor sport halls, and swimming complexes remain open to the public in Phase 3. Bookings for ActiveSG and Dual Use Scheme (DUS) facilities can be made via the ActiveSG app or myactivesg.com.
There will be facility-specific safe management measures in place at ActiveSG and DUS facilities, and the public are advised to follow the measures and comply with the instructions of ActiveSG staff for their well-being.
There will be more open spaces for the public to participate in sports, exercises and physical activities. In addition to ActiveSG stadiums, lawns, playfields and open spaces in parks and state lands under NParks and the Singapore Land Authority, will be re-opened for public use. Organised group sports and physical activities may proceed in these spaces.
A 2-metre distancing should be maintained as the default posture and observed wherever possible when one is exercising, because of the higher risk of spread of COVID-19 via respiratory droplets.
There is no restriction on organised activities for children and youth. Senior-centric activities may continue under Phase 3, with safe management measures in place.
SportSG has been engaging the national sport associations, which will be publishing their endorsed safe management plans on their websites and on the SportSG website. For queries, the public can email the Sport Singapore QSM, or call 1800-3441177 during office hours (Mondays to Fridays, 9am to 6pm).
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