There is no doubt about it, the sport world has been hit hard by COVID-19.
With the government shut down in March, all recreational facilities were closed and both amateur and professional sporting events were cancelled. According to an analysis done for ESPN by Patrick Rishe of Washington University, the NBA, NHL, Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer together have lost more than $5 billion due to COVID-19. For the first time in history the Olympics were postponed until 2021 (and there are valid questions whether that is going to happen).
Uncertainty has tainted the sport world for the past several months. Sports fans and participants have been waiting on the edge of their seats to see when they would be able to watch/play their favourite sport again. As parts of the world started to open back up, the sports industry also started to pivot to try to understand how to provide a sporting experience safely, for both spectators and players.
Some large sport organizations, like the NHL, have put together detailed plans for creating a safe and exclusive place for players to be able to play, while minimizing contact with the outside world. All players are screened and tested regularly, so that when they are on the ice there is little to no risk of them passing COVID-19 to a fellow teammate or opponent. At this point games are being played without spectators in the “hub cities” of Edmonton and Toronto.
One of Canada’s most prominent infectious disease specialists, Dr. Isaac Bogoch, told Global News that he sees no problem with professional sports recommencing. “Can you create protocols to ensure players are safe, to ensure that the community is safe? Absolutely,” he said.
While big sporting organizations have the resources and expertise to make sure that games are safe for their players and staff, what about the people who are missing out on sport in their community? With the province’s phase three of reopening, Ottawa is taking a cautious approach to re-opening facilities and offering recreational programming. This means it will take a while before facilities and programming are fully operational and even then, changes will be required to allow for physical distancing and other public health protocols.
With schools re-opening in the September, the government has said that sport will be allowed, as long as physical distancing can be maintained, and equipment and spaces are disinfected. The government has noted that gym classes must be held outside when possible, and gyms should only be used if physical distancing can be respected. Schools are also expected to limit the capacity in change rooms.
The world of sport is re-opening, but not without strict measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Although many professional sports are back up and running, and local sport is re-commencing, it certainly won’t be the same as pre-COVID-19, at least until there is a viable vaccine. All organized sport must be played with caution and with respect to the health and safety of players and support staff.
This year has not been easy for the sport world and we aren’t out of the woods yet. It looks like the re-opening the for the rest of 2020 will be slow and with the vigilance that has become a necessity in the current climate of COVID-19.