After the government voted the new restrictions, including the rule of 4 and a nightly curfew, into law, minister Kersch gave further details on how exactly these new measures would impact different areas in the sports sector.
No competitions and rule of 4
Unsurprisingly, concerning club sports, the main takeaway from the briefing was the new omnipresence of the number 4 and the ban of competitions in the lower divisions.
Hence, a maximum of 4 people are allowed to train together without masks or distancing rules, excluding the coach who will, however, have to wear a mask the entire time. Similarly, athletes will have to wear a mask when they are interacting with each other before, after or in-between training sessions.
However, exempt from this rule of 4 and the competition ban are senior first-division teams, which will still be allowed to compete. Kersch stated that these high divisions often employ professional athletes with work contracts and teams which need to compete in order to be able to qualify for international leagues.
But with the increasing number of infections over the past few days, more and more federations are starting to cancel the rest of their seasons voluntarily. On Thursday, the Luxembourg Basketball Federation (FLBB) announced that there would be no more national basketball competitions this year, whereas the Luxembourg Football Federation (FLF) announced that BGL league matches would not resume before 22 November.
3 principles for spectators
New rules for spectators of senior first-division competitions will also be in place as of Friday, Kersch explained. These are built on three focal points:
- spectators must be seated except during outdoor events where they are moving around to follow the competition
- spectators, unless from the same household, need to keep a 2m distance
- masks are mandatory at all times
Additionally, as for any other gathering of 10 to 100 people, no food or drinks can be sold.
PE to go ahead
Contrary to the first wave, when all physical education in schools was cancelled, school sports will go ahead. Although this decision has sparked controversy over the past days, the minister emphasised the importance of physical activities for pupils’ physical and mental health.
Additionally, gyms will also remain open, as Kersch pointed out that they had already adapted the measures in place since the easing of the lockdown and generally had fewer clients since the beginning of the pandemic back in March.