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CONTINUED WAITING: Norwegian children are not yet allowed to exercise with full contact, although they are not claimed to be highly contagious. Photo: Karin Beate Nøsterud
In a hitherto unknown note, the National Institute of Public Health (FHI) opened the door to soccer. But authorities still choose to say no to regular close contact training.
Last week, on behalf of the Health Directorate, the Institute of Public Health (FHI) was tasked with evaluating whether different sports should be distinguished, based on the time players are in close contact with each other.
The result is a three page note that brings optimism to everyone who plays soccer.
Today, there is still a requirement that children must stay one meter away when exercising. But the note states, among other things, that:
“We suggest a differentiation in the degree of contact that also occupies the time aspect of contact.”
As much as:
“Sports or activities where it is possible to keep at least 1 meter away for most of the time or where the activity can be adjusted to meet this are considered low risk and should be open. For example, soccer where close contact is less than 1 meter for very short periods of time presents little risk » is named.
FHI confirms to VG that the section is about general sports. A follow-up question about whether it means children’s football or wide football as such has not been answered.
Neither the Norwegian Sports Federation (NIF) nor the Norwegian Football Association (NFF) were aware of the internal memorandum before VG contacted regarding this case.
The NFF Alf Hansen Summit emphasizes that they leave professional judgments about what is contagious in terms of infection prevention to the FHI and the Health Directorate.
– But the document that we have now realized confirms that the health authorities were not sure what the correct professional evaluation is. It shows that there are different points of view, says the director of development and activity at the NFF.
disagree
However, this opinion is not shared by the Health Department:
– We have had a close dialogue and good cooperation with the Sports Federation and the Institute of Public Health before, together with FHI, we created the supervisor who came yesterday, says the director of the department, Jakob Linhave, to VG.
SUPERIOR HEALTH: Jakob Linhave at the Health Department. Photo: Rebecca Ravneberg, Health Directorate
He firmly rejects the disagreement between the FHI and the Health Directorate, claiming that the FHI note was made as a possible long-term scenario.
– It is not at all the case that FHI says yes, and the Health Directorate says no. There is no disagreement in this area. The note is made in the work of a long-term strategy. If we had now opened for handball, and not for soccer, I would have understood that it seemed strange. But we have only opened for the best football. Therefore, it is strange to have to present this as a disagreement, Linhave says.
– Is it difficult to read the wording of the note in the context that you are explaining now?
– I could understand that, but here we are hero Okay, says the department director.
FHI consultant Are S. Berg also wrote in an email to VG that the institute and management are “in agreement with the supervisor,” which was released this week, where the one meter distance requirement still applies.
FHI NOTE: Handball fares worse than wide soccer in the note that FHI sent to the Health Directorate. Photo: FAKSIMILE
The FHI memo states that cups or matches should not be held in powerful sports at this time, as they will lead to travel and therefore increase the spread of infection.
“The Institute of Public Health believes that at this stage, and at least until the summer, only training for local sports teams is opened in regular training groups” He says.
The day after FHI released its memorandum, the Health Directorate reviewed a report on measures against the current crown pandemic. There is an FHI document as an attachment.
In the report, the Directorate of Health recommends that the one meter rule still apply.
“An exception to the distance requirement will not apply to wide area sports” It says in the report.
NFF responds to newsroom
That was also the message that Health Minister Bent Høie presented at a press conference in Oslo the same day. There it was clear that top football received the green light to start again and train with full contact.
Health Minister Bent Høie is confronted with the FHI note from VG.
– I am familiar with the note from the Institute of Public Health. It is natural that there is a dialogue and various contributions between the management and the institute before agreeing on what the conclusions should be. says Høie, who points out that the supervisor has been prepared by the Institute of Public Health and the Health Directorate, and that it has not been treated by the Ministry or the government.
In its own report, the Health Directorate writes that it is too early to open all sports because the effect of the continued reopening of society is not yet known.
“It is also not considered a far-reaching measure to impose restrictions on this type of activity.” It says in the report.
The wording prompts the Norwegian Football Association to respond:
– I wonder about this writing, and I hope it does not help to make wrong decisions on these issues. When the most important leisure activity for children and youth changes, it is a powerful measure in their lives. I have great respect for reopening society in stages and that decisions are difficult, but at the same time I am concerned if you consider this not to be a far-reaching measure, says Alf Hansen.
– Do you expect a new debate on children’s football in light of this FHI note?
– The situation is too serious for children and young people to wait unnecessarily long. I hope that the responsible health authorities have an ongoing assessment of when a fresh start is justifiable, and that other consequences related to a closure are also taken into account, he says.
ORDER: Minister of Health Bent Høie. Photo: Terje Bendiksby
Total confusion
When the government opened for American football last Thursday, the Minister of Culture, Abid Raja, announced at the same time that the so-called sports coach for children would be announced the following Monday, that is, this week.
Raja addressed children and youth when he said the following:
– Today, for example, they cannot play matches, but the supervisor must make arrangements so that they can safely operate their sport in a slightly more normal way than today, perhaps playing a match against others in the training group say.
VG knows that the words raised hope in some of the offices of the football association at the Ullevaal stadium. There, it is feared that many children and youth will abandon sports if their stay without adequate training is prolonged too long.
The joy was short-lived: because when Bent Høie announced to the supervisor on Monday of this week, at first glance there was very little to track for the children’s sport – a one-meter-long requirement should still apply.
However, there was total confusion both in the top management of the sport and in parts of the government:
The Norwegian Sports Federation sent a press release in which they wrote, among other things, about how children up to fourth grade could now train as before the crown crisis, that is, with close contact.
Twitter message deleted
When reference was made to this in VG, the Health Department contacted and refuted the information.
According to NIF, everything was due to an internal failure in them. But the Sports Federation was not the only one that was lost:
Culture Minister Abid Raja, who is in government with Bent Høie, posted the following message on Twitter: “Finally, we start children’s sports with contact. Although only for younger children in small groups. Little steps in the right direction.
DELETED: This Twitter message to Abid Raja was removed when the Minister realized that the content was incorrect. Photo: Facsimile
Later, the Minister of Culture deleted the message.
VG has asked Abid Raja several questions about this through the communication department of the Ministry of Culture. The questions have not been answered.
