The Welsh Government has today confirmed that children and young people can leave local lockdown areas to take part in organised sport and activities.
15 counties in Wales are currently in local lockdown, with the addition of Llanelli and Bangor, which are in ‘hyper-local’ lockdown. No-one can enter or leave these areas without a reasonable excuse, which did not include children’s activities or sports.
Only professional sportspersons or elite athletes, as designated by Sport Wales, were allowed to travel to and from a lockdown area, children participating is amateur sports or activities were not permitted to travel.
Almost 10,000 people signed a petition calling for rules to change, saying it was damaging to children’s mental and physical health.
The new regulations will come into effect from 6pm on Friday 16th October.
The amendment to the Health Protection Regulations states that “children under the age of 18 (as of the 31 August 2020) can participate in or facilitate organised activities for the development or wellbeing, including sports, music and other recreational activities, such as those provided for children outside of school hours and during school holidays“.
Sport Wales also Tweeted: “The Health Protection Regulations in Wales have been amended today to allow children to enter or leave a Local Health Protection Area to participate in sport and children’s activities, from 6pm tonight.”
Guidance published by the Football Association of Wales this afternoon states the change “will apply to anyone under the age of 18, and they will be able to be accompanied by one responsible member of their household over the age of 18 if required for transport.”
“It would therefore permit a parent volunteer to continue with their respective role at the club training session or match that their child is participating in.”
“It would also allow a volunteer to travel out of, or into, a lockdown area to facilitate football activity for participants under the age of 18.”
“The changes will apply to all football activities involving players U18. However, junior grassroots club matches should continue to be played locally, either against teams within their own league or local authority.”
“This ruling would allow matches involving girls’ teams to take place across local authority areas or regions currently in lockdown.”
“Adults are not permitted to enter or leave local lockdown areas to participate in football activity. It also does not allow volunteers to travel into, or out of, lockdown areas to support activities involving participants over the age of 18.”
Please check with your child’s sports or activities club for individual arrangements.
