Resumption of sports will be reassessed – Tufton

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton, says there will be a reassessment of plans to restart sports islandwide in light of the recent surge in coronavirus cases.

The Government on Friday granted approval for sporting events to resume on a case-by-case basis, thanks to a provision made in the Disaster Management Risk Order for sporting events to take place with strict enforcement of COVID-19 protocols. However, the island has recorded consecutive days of triple-digit new cases with 244 cases recorded yesterday, causing concerns.

Tufton said that while the current situation is fluid, any alterations to the government's directive given three days would not be up to him alone but a collective decision by the Cabinet.

Dynamic situation

"It's a dynamic situation. The decision surrounding the resumption of sporting activities is not up to me. It's up to the Cabinet but it's based on an assessment of the health risk based on the COVID spread," Tufton told STAR Sports. "It's something that we are going to have to discuss and I'm sure a decision will be forthcoming whenever [Sports] Minister Olivia Grange, [Local Government] Minister [Desmond] McKenzie and the Cabinet [meets]."

According to the provision, requests to hold events would be handled by the Director of Sport at the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport where it will be forwarded to the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management for final approval. Tufton said that rapid increase does present challenges, but it also emphasises the need for sporting associations to ensure strict enforcement of the measures should the plan to reopen industry continues as scheduled.

"To the extent that we have a more challenging situation, it becomes more difficult, but it is also a function of the protocols that are put in place and what is required to fulfil or carry out those protocols," Tufton said.

Horse racing is one of the few sports that have continued during the pandemic as well as last season's track and field domestic season. However, this year's season has yet to begin because of COVID-19 concerns and other sports are still awaiting clearance to have their events such as football, cricket and swimming.

Jamaica currently has over 17,000 cases of the virus with 4,271 of them being active cases as of yesterday.