Burgess hurlers observing social distance as they returned to training last week in Pairc na nGael Kilcoleman

IN ALL FAIRNESS - We can’t abuse the return to play

 

 

We didn't see queues of people gathering outside of the gates of their respective grounds as they are reopened this week unlike some clothes shops, but it will still be received with great relief nonetheless that competitive sport is nearing a return.

 

We have come a long way in a short space of time where I feared for any return of team sport until the New Year but now, we are only a few short weeks from competitive action returning in all sports.

 

However, we have got to be acutely aware that this resumption cannot be abused and cannot be seen as a return to normality, just yet. Yes, the recent figures on the numbers of cases and deaths from coronavirus have been reducing week on week but as we have seen in the United States and Germany this week, it doesn’t take much slippage for Covid-19 to spike in an area so whatever sport you are returning to, you have got to be appreciative of the opportunity to get back in action by adhering to the public health advice.

 

When we get back to club action in particular, I have no doubt there will be an outbreak of Covid-19 traced back to a match venue somewhere in the country, so do you want to be the player, coach, spectator or administrator who took a chance and ended up contracting or passing on the virus, and potentially putting family, friends and neighbours health in jeopardy, and maybe shutting down the sport you love for a second time.

 

We can all point to the failings in nursing homes as the low point of how this country handled Covid-19, but for every other aspect, we have done quite well by adhering to the social distancing guidelines and hand washing etiquette. That needs to continue, as well as becoming more accepting of the need to wear facemasks.

 

This seems to be a sore issue for many when you see images of many other countries where wearing facemasks is the new normal. Even in the United States during the riots associated with the protests following the murder of George Floyd, you saw the majority of people wear masks, even when they were involved in violence.

 

So far in Ireland there has been just a take-up rate of regularly wearing masks under 40% and if that continues there will be a spike of new cases and when it comes to sporting events, face-mask wearing among spectators in particular needs to be a must as every time you should words of encouragement or abuse in many cases, you are releasing droplets from your mouth and if a Covid-19 carrier, those droplets could find their way onto someone else close by, even in the open air.

 

This is the aspect of the non-wearing of facemasks debate I don’t understand. Wearing facemasks won’t protect a person from contracting the virus but it reduces the chances of that person passing it on to someone else. Thankfully, I haven’t contracted the virus so far, but I know I’d feel an awful lot worse if I was the cause of someone else getting it, rather than contracting it myself.

 

Face-masks aren’t nice to wear but they are a necessity at the moment and the more that wear them at the moment, the sooner we won’t have to wear them at all, just like in New Zealand were they have virtually eradicated the virus.

Ireland has always been a people that looks after its community when times get tough. We only have to look at the community in Charlestown and indeed the country as a whole last week following the brutal murder of detective Garda Colm Horkan and how everyone was deeply affected.

 

As of last Monday there were 2,262 people who have died on the island of Ireland (including Northern Ireland) due to Covid-19, yet 60% of the people aren’t prepared to unite and wear a face-mask to ensure that no more families and communities have to deal with grief that can be avoided if we put our selfishness aside.

 

The GAA can only allow 500 people (including players, mentors, and stewards) to attend club matches from July 20th. So in all reality that’s closer to 400 people and in most venues they can be scattered around for social distancing but realistically that won’t happen as people will sit and stand together in close proximity to each other and potentially put each other at risk, unless they take precautions.

 

Whatever sport you are involved in, we have this opportunity to taste a bit of normality in the coming weeks and months. Don’t jeopardise it by being selfish and thinking everything is okay again because it won’t be until a vaccine is found or we eradicate it from the community by being sensible.