13 Jul Stakeholder Update. Sport, Recreation and Racing. 10 July 2020
The Victorian Government has made the decision to introduce Stage 3 “Stay at Home” restrictions for metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire in an effort to slow the spread on coronavirus (COVID-19).
Restrictions for metropolitan Melbourne or the Shire of Mitchell
From 11:59pm, 8 July in metropolitan Melbourne or the Shire of Mitchell the following activities will be restricted:
- You can only exercise or undertake sporting activities outside with one other person or household members. You must be able to keep 1.5 metres distance between yourself and others.
- Indoor sports centres including gyms, training facilities and pools will be closed.
- Community sport training and competition cannot occur within metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire.
- If you live in metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire, you cannot attend or participate in community sport elsewhere.
- People aged 18 years and younger are not exempt from this restriction.
- Some outdoor sport facilities will be closed.
- Personal training outdoors can occur but with a limit of two participants, in addition to the instructor.
- Swimming pools will be closed.
- Outdoor sport facilities can open if people can exercise outside, equipment is not shared or rented, no indoor facilities or shared facilities (except toilets) are used, and people must be able to keep 1.5 metres distance between each other.
- Where outdoor facilities can open, these facilities must have a patron cap of 10, unless each group of two can maintain 100 meters distance from all other people. Examples of outdoor facilities which may be able to open under these requirements include golf courses, footy ovals, tennis courts, or outdoor shooting ranges.
- If you live in metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire, you cannot travel outside of the area to exercise or for outdoor recreation.
Restrictions for the rest of Victoria
For the rest of Victoria, restrictions introduced at 11.59pm on 1 July remain in place.
In line with the directions of Victoria’s Chief Health Officer, Professor Brett Sutton, the difficult but necessary decision has been made to halt the resumption of full-contact training and competition for people aged 19 and over in regional Victoria.
Full-contact training was scheduled to resume on Monday 13 July, with full-contact competition set to return on 20 July.
However, with a significant increase in coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Melbourne, and active cases in a number of many regional communities, the Chief Health Officer has determined that community sport in regional Victoria must remain non-contact.
For players aged 18 and under in areas outside of metropolitan and Mitchell Shire, full training and competition can continue.
Further easing of restrictions, including target dates, will be considered by Professor Sutton by the end of July.
Restrictions for high performance and professional sport
High performance and professional sporting organisations will be able to continue to access otherwise restricted facilities (e.g. arena, stadiums and racetracks) for the purposes of training and engaging in professional sporting events. These organisations are provided with this allowance on the basis that these activities are being undertaken at venues that are a place of work and that professional clubs and associations are able to put in place comprehensive risk mitigation plans.
Restrictions for racing
Racing activities are also classified as a workplace and can continue to operate under the strict biosecurity protocols in place to allow for the safe conduct of training and racing.
I know these new restrictions will be challenging for many of you and your organisations. I would like to thank you for your ongoing support and commitment to helping slow the spread coronavirus (COVID-19) in the community.
The Victorian Government has launched a new $534 million Business Support Package to provide more support to help businesses and workers through to the other side of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This includes an expanded Business Support Fund providing more than 80,000 eligible businesses with a new $5,000 grant to support them through the renewed restrictions.
We’ll continue to work with Vicsport, SSAs and the wider sport and recreation sector to explore options for recovery and to help clubs return to play when it is safe to do so.
Further information on the new restrictions, including resources such as posters, fact sheets and translated resources, is available on the DHHS website. The Sport and Recreation Victoria website will also be updated shortly with further information on the new restrictions for the sport and recreation sector.
For any additional queries, please contact the DHHS coronavirus hotline 1800 675 398 and select option two to speak to someone who can help or email info@sport.vic.gov.au.
Sport and recreation organisations in regional Victoria (outside of metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire) can access information on return to play, including advice for cleaning facilities and operating indoor venues, on the Sport and Recreation Victoria website.