Further Delay for Contact Sports as COVID Numbers Rise

Kevin Bernard

While with the Minister of Youth, Sports and E-Governance, we asked him about the possible resumption of contact sports since athletes and sporting associations have been clamouring for a further ease of restrictions, wanting to get back on the courts and pitches. But with the country now experiencing a third wave due to the rising COVID numbers, Minister Kevin Bernard says that it is not possible at this time.

Kevin Bernard, Minister of Sports

“We dialogued in terms of opening sports a bit and I did say that if the numbers rise, we are going to have to put a hold on the opening of sports. And so we are reviewing, we are studying, we are hoping that we can see some better results later, but as you know the delta variant is here. And we have to be very cautious. It is best to protect our lives than to have recreation. So for right now, for me as the Minister responsible for Sports, I have offered my support to the Minister of Health and I said if we cannot open sports for competition in terms of contact sporting, let us wait until we can really do so. So I want to ask again, our athletes to be patient with us. We are not doing it to punish them, but we are doing it to protect the lives of our Belizean people.”

We do not know if it was a slip of the tongue from Minister Bernard when he said that the delta variant is here in Belize, but Minister Chebat told News Five that the results of samples sent to Baylor College to determine which variant is actually in Belize are still pending.