Africa-Press – Eswatini. This follows Prime Minister (PM) Cleopas Dlamini’s announcement on new eased COVID-19 restrictions under Adjusted Risk Level 1, effective immediately. Some of the adjusted measures include the lifting of the PCR test requirement when travelling into Eswatini as well as the lifting of restrictions on the hosting of outdoor sport and entertainment activities.
“All restrictions are lifted for outdoor sporting activities. Spectators in indoor sports will be required to wear a face mask,” Dlamini said at cabinet offices yesterday.
Effectively, this means that spectators at stadiums can return to capacity but will still be required to wear a face mask.
The PM said wearing of face masks in open space is no longer mandatory in groups of not more than five people. However, large outdoor gatherings like football games will continue observing social distancing of at least one metre apart and shall continue to wear face masks.
Indoor sports like basketball, volleyball and pool will be expected to adhere to COVID-19 preventive measures comprising of sanitising and one metre social distancing. Participants attending indoor events are required to wear their face masks.
Minister of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs Harries ‘Madze’ Bulunga said the directive by the PM means that restrictions on vaccination and number of attendees, for example, have been lifted.
“However, relevant restrictions on outdoor gatherings will continue to apply. This means that all spectators at outdoor sporting events will be required to wear face masks correctly and observe social distancing of at least one metre. Spectators at indoor sporting activities will be expected to wear face masks at all such activities,” Bulunga said in a statement.
Previously, a maximum of 2 000 vaccinated fans were allowed at Somhlolo National Stadium and Mavuso Sports Centre. Other open grounds were only allowed to accomodate 500 vaccinated fans under strict COVID-19 protocols.
Eswatini Football Association (EFA) Marketing and Communications Officer Muzi Radebe said they were waiting for a correspondence from the Eswatini Sport and Recreation Council. “I’ve seen the statement somewhere on a personal level. However, there’s nothing to say at the moment until we receive a correspondence from the ministry of sports or Sports Council on the issue,“ he said.
Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kenneth Makhanya asked to comment once he had read the statement as he was locked in meetings for the better part of the day.
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