Covid 19 coronavirus: skiing, duck shooting and contact sports allowed below level 2

Those desperate to resume their sport or hobby, be it boating, hunting, or rugby, have only three days to wait.

At level 2, all recreational sports are permitted, provided the government’s level 2 guidelines on physical distance, group meetings, and hygiene are followed.

Hunters desperate to duck can start next Saturday when the season officially opens on May 23.

Fish & Game New Zealand confirmed the new start date today and said it was chosen so that hunters would have time to equip themselves, prepare their maimais and travel to their hunting grounds.

The season was delayed from the traditional opening date of May 1 while the country was on level 3 alert.

Fishing & Game Executive Director Martin Taylor said level 2 alert conditions for hunting game birds were more practical for hunters and has demonstrated the benefits of waiting versus opting for level alert restrictions 3.

End dates for regions that have shorter seasons will also be extended and exact end dates will be confirmed in the coming days.

Below level 2, hunters can travel interregionally and can spend the night at their hunting spots with friends and family.

Taylor said it was good news for hunters who were able to travel, use their boats and access public land, communities that relied on the game bird season for income and food supplies, and outdoor retailers who supplied the equipment.

All hunters will start hunting the same day and it will be illegal to conduct any bird hunting before this as it is a legal change to the season dates.

Recreation Aotearoa spokesman Sam Newton said all sports, including contact sports and skiing, could be done.

“Unlike levels 3 and 4, the guide does not focus so much on the form of physical activity you do, but on how it is done and what the people who do it do.”

He said the emphasis was on cleanliness and physical distance whenever possible.

Newton said the great victory for them was to allow interregional travel, which meant that people could travel outside their regions to do their favorite sport, like surfing.

Being able to travel across the country also meant that the ski fields could also open for the winter season, provided they followed the required health measures.

Club sports could also be resumed at level 2, but some codes and clubs were expected to take some time to implement the necessary measures.

“While the vast majority of types of recreation and sports are permitted, perfectly justified and legitimate public health measures around them will be difficult and complex to implement,” said Newton.

Tennis, hockey, golf, badminton, swimming, rugby, soccer, and hitting the gym were among the long list of activities allowed as early as Thursday.

Gyms and public pools will also reopen with the changes.

The Hamilton City Council, for example, will open its pools starting Thursday with restrictions such as only being used for swimming in the lane and limits on how many are in each lane. No more than 100 people may be in the largest facility. Toddler pools, hydrostatic slides, spa, and steam rooms will remain closed.

The Learn to Swim program will be available only for individual or family classes and group exercise classes will have restricted numbers.

Newton said that while it might take some sports longer to implement the rules, he was confident that all the codes would make it work.
• Covid19.govt.nz – The official government Covid-19 advisory website

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