2020-08-27
[TENNIS COURTS REOPENING ARRANGEMENTS] Further to the government’s announcement on 25 Aug that anti-epidemic measures will gradually be relaxed, allowing certain outdoor sports facilities, including those for tennis, to be reopened starting on 28 Aug, they have now provided more specific directions. For all PRL lessees, and other sports premises, outdoor tennis operations will be allowed to resume on 28 Aug, with a limitation of 4 persons per court. For public tennis courts managed by the LCSD, operations will resume on 31 Aug, under the same capacity limitation. Our Association welcomes this decision and is thankful that the government has acknowledged the importance of sports to the general public as well as industry stakeholders such as coaches. We urge everyone not to let their guards down in the battle against the epidemic and strictly observe the Prevention and Control of Disease Regulations set by the government. We have also published safety guidelines for tennis participants, coaches and facility operators on our website. We hope the government can refine its policies such that if there are further outbreaks of positive cases, the decision to maintain the operation of each activity can be evaluated based on its own safety merit. Up to now, tennis facilities across Hong Kong have been closed for a total of 18 weeks and future uncertainty looms. In the third round of the “Anti-epidemic Fund”, we urgently appeal to the government to provide increased relief grants to coaches, taking into consideration the income loss which they have suffered from.
