Less than two months after giving permission for recreational sports comprising 22 people or less to take place, the Government through the Minister of Health Terrance Deyalsingh, has ordered it to be stopped from Friday.
This is due to the recent spike and deaths in the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic cases in Trinidad and Tobago.
This new development brings an end to the many football small-goal, basketball and other recreational sweats that have been taking place at sporting facilities, both indoor and outdoor, since February 20 when permission was initially given by the Minister of Sports and Community Development Shamfa Cudjoe.
At the Government's weekly update on the COVID-19 pandemic on Thursday, Deyalsingh made it clear that his government's action will not affect national and international teams, who are preparing for major competitions, but their actions were necessary due to people not adhering to the mask-wearing policy.
The T&T senior football team, known as the 'Soca Warriors' has been involved in World Cup qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
It defeated Guyana 3-0 in its opening match on March 25 in the Dominican Republic, which was scheduled to be their home game at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, and then later played to a 1-1 tie with Puerto Rico at the Estadio Jose Antonio Figueroa in Mayaquez, Puerto Rico.
The team, coached by Englishman Terry Fenwick, is expected to continue its preparation ahead of two more qualifying matches against the Bahamas on June 5 in the Bahamas, and St Kitts & Nevis on June 8, supposedly in T&T.
But in a bold move to treat with the fatal spike in the coronavirus cases, Minister Deyalsingh said: "After consulting with the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), the Minister of National Security and ultimately the Honourable Prime Minister who makes the final decisions, the Honourable Prime Minister has authorized me to implement the following measures: With regards to regulations 3(2) which deals with recreational team sports, limited to participants no more than 22 athletes where such sports are conducted outside of a building. As of tomorrow (today), that freedom we had to participate in recreational sports, both indoors and outdoors, unfortunately, we will have to roll back."
According to Deyalsingh: "Because what we have noticed is that persons are engaging in these sports, and we wanted to do it for people to maintain their physical health and mental health. But what we have noticed is that it is more than 22 people. The after-game lime is becoming dangerous, where food and drinks start to come out and people are congregating without mask-wearing.
So we are going back to how we were, so there will be, for the time being until further advised, we will be rolling back the recreational sports for team and contact sports, both indoor and outdoor. This measure will not affect training for our national and international teams."