Run, walk, cycle: New post-confinement rules in France
Individual walking, running, and cycling will be permitted as soon as deconfinement begins on May 11, the French sports ministry has said, but group sports and other outdoor activities will need to wait longer.
The sports ministry laid out the plans for gradually re-introducing sports into public life post-confinement after a meeting with organised sports representatives last week. A letter from Denis Masséglia, president of national sports committee Le Comité National Olympique et Sportif Français (CNOSF), published online here, explains.
Individual, amateur, outdoor sports will be allowed under “normal conditions” from May 11, including walking, hiking, running and cycling.
These activities will not be subjected to the current confinement rules from that date (such as staying within 1km of your home). All health recommendations in place will still need to be respected.
Professional athletes will also be allowed to restart their training from May 11.
The document did not specify when other amateur outdoor sporting activities, such as local tennis or football, would be allowed to restart.
Sports halls and gyms are expected to reopen gradually, the document said, with all sites set to reopen completely from June 15.
Sports clubs and associations will be permitted to restart gradually, in a three-step plan.
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From May 11 to June 15, only associations working with schools will be allowed to reopen. This will allow classes to remain small, with half the pupils in the classroom, and the other half doing sports.
From June 15, all associations will be allowed to restart their normal activities in small groups. The ministry is likely to cap this at 30 people per activity.
Lastly, a total restart of activities is unlikely to be allowed until the new school year, in late August or September, and even then, establishments may still be subject to health measures and social distancing rules.
