Originally published at: Facilitating Sports in a COVID-19 Pandemic World – Running Hot Takes
The Short Read If we want sports to go on during a raging global pandemic, we should not simply advocate for sports while ignoring the harms they entail. We need to come to terms with the unjust decisions that have led to the cancellation of sports, and pay attention to the social implications of these…
1 Like
My short answer to this is shut down places and activities of known “high” spread, and leave open where spread’s extremely low or none existent. Some examples of the absurdity of all this: Swimming Canada has been tracking EVERY visit to a pool in Canada for Lane/Lap swimming or training my various clubs and teams for well over a year. There have been ZERO recorded cases on Covid turn up. Why are pools across Ontario/Canada, closed AGAIN? Mass Participation World has been recording and compounding data from every running, cycling and triathlon race around the world. In the comeback there have been over 6 million participants in races/events and 5 cases of Covid! That’s right FIVE! Why are outdoor running races/events on hold? On that note, apparently the Boxing Day 10 miler could not get a permit (with proper protocols in place as part of their application) in December for a 1000 person race/event. But 2 weeks earlier, in Hamilton the Grey Cup could go on with 26,000+ people!!
2 Likes
I agree Steve, if we had governments that wanted to serve their constituents instead of the richest people they would be planning to put on low-risk events like outdoor activities in the downtown area that would give people something to do and keep morale up. Instead we are told to stay home unless it’s for work and/or school. Good way to get people frustrated and eventually just say “screw it” despite the obvious harmful implications.
As Nora Loretto outlines in her book, Spin Doctors, work and school are the main contact points for spreading the virus (and then within the household once it is brought home). The propaganda machine does not frame it that way. So now we’re left with a curve that has been vertically flattened and really the just policy decision at this point should be to shut down almost everything until case levels are actually manageable.
1 Like
While I agree with the overall goals put forward in the post, I question whether the premise of isolate, test, trace will still be a viable strategy as we move forward with Omicron and future Covid variants. The reality might well be that we cannot “contain” our way out this. We are starting to see a desperate shortage of healthcare workers. Likely very soon we will be having hospital settings with workers caring for people while sick with Covid. Other essential front line work may encounter this as well, with few other options to keep society going. Given such a scenario, it is not likely that the current provincial restrictions, including in university sports, will stay as is. Odds are that in a few weeks we will be yet in a different world again.
1 Like
Thank you for the reminder about Nora Loretto’s book. It’s on my #MustRead short list.
2 Likes