Bangladesh allows sports to resume on a limited scale

The government has decided to allow sports and trainings to resume on a limited scale after a five-month suspension over the coronavirus outbreak.

The Ministry of Youth and Sports made the decision at an emergency meeting on Monday.

Many countries have restarted sports and training activities in compliance with hygiene regulations as the number of infections has decreased, State Minister for Youth and Sports Zahid Ahsan Russel said.

The ministry had sought the opinion of the Directorate General of Health Services to restart sports in Bangladesh considering that the infection rate is also declining here, he added.

All players and others involved in sports must follow a 10-point protocol issued by the directorate to reduce the risk of infection.

The preventive measures include preparing the fields and training grounds with materials such as masks, gloves, disinfectants and non-contact infrared thermometers before starting games. It would be better if a person is tasked solely with monitoring the health rules in games and training.

The government announced the suspension of all sports activities in Bangladesh in March indefinitely after the first COVID-19 cases were detected.

The tally of coronavirus infection in the country has crossed 260,000 with more than 3,400 deaths.