27 Nov COVID-19 Update for ROI – 27th November
Tennis Ireland would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the contribution its clubs and their membership have made in adhering to the most recent Level 5 restrictions.
You will be aware that the Government met today to consider the easing of Level 5 restrictions and this evening the Taoiseach announced that from 1st December the country will move to Level 3.
The Taoiseach did not make any specific reference to sport or indeed tennis, but we were able to ascertain the following from his address:
- Tennis clubs will be allowed to reopen from Tuesday 1st December with restrictive measures being in place.
- From Tuesday 1st December, tennis players must not travel outside their county of residence to play tennis.
- From December 18th to January 6th, players can travel to another county to play as restrictions are eased over the Christmas period and that there should continue to be no organised social gatherings, of any size, at tennis facilities.
- All retail, including club shops, can reopen while adhering to strict physical distancing and hygiene guidelines (please consult www.gov.ie
You will recall that Tennis Ireland produced and disseminated Level 3 protocols on October 16th last and these can be accessed here: Clubs_Level3_November
Following the move to Level 3 and during Levels 4 and 5, Tennis Ireland prepared and sent a number of submissions to the Government’s Sport Expert Group seeking an easing of certain restrictions relating to Tennis during Level 3. These submissions related specifically to the use of indoor courts, certain exceptions for people with a disability, the operation of certain internal club competitions and the continuation of an exception for travel beyond county boundaries to participate in children’s training activities.
To date, we have not had confirmation as to whether these requests have been accepted or denied but we expect to get further information from Sport Ireland who we understand are also awaiting clarification from Government on any modifications to the Level 3 protocols as they relate to sport.
We will update you as soon as possible, but in the meantime, we would ask clubs to refer to the previously issued Level 3 document for guidance as to the restrictions to be applied from December 1st.