Previous conditions have been amended given the rise of COVID-19 cases in the past few weeks.
No group activities or contact sports will be allowed during this year’s Qatar National Sports Day [NSD] amid rising coronavirus concerns, the organisers said.
Given the spike of reported cases in the country, NSD’s organising committee amended previous conditions and requirements to ensure the safety of all participants and to limit the chance of infection, the statement said.
Qatar celebrates the second Tuesday of February as National Sport Day, which falls on February 9 this year.
On Tuesday, Doha reported 385 new cases, bringing the total number of active COVID-19 cases in the country t0 5,518, the highest in months. With the numbers spiking daily, health officials reported that Qatar could possibly face a second wave.
Read also: COVID cases double in less than a month as Qatar braces for possible second wave.
This year, NSD will only feature individual and outdoor sports activities with
a maximum of four participants allowed. Participants will have to maintain a physical distancing of at least 3m to limit infection, as per health ministry measures.
In addition, group activities and sports where there is a high chance of contact or proximity between players are prohibited, the statement adds. Any activities inside closed halls are also not allowed.
The sports committee also called on all institutions not to hold NSD activities in places where there could be crowding.
The decision was carried out based on joint coordination with the committee and Qatar’s ministry of health to find the most suitable plan to allow the community to enjoy sports while also limiting the spread of the virus.
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