Covid-19 update: Changes to return to activity guidelines

The following changes to the return to activity guidelines are being made after recommendations from this morning’s Covid-19 Advisory Committee. These changes were subsequently endorsed by the GAA, the Camogie Association and the LGFA. 

This week: 

• Open pitches for Adult training next Wednesday, June 24. 

• Open for Minor and below from Saturday, June 27. 

• Both of the above on a non-contact basis and on the understanding that players and all participants have completed the eLearning module and are following the control measures in place (health questionnaire etc). 

• On the basis of a maximum of 15 players in a designated area of the field (26 Counties) and 10 players in a designated area of the field (6 Counties). 

• Coaching numbers for underage teams to be consistent with Code of Behaviour. 

Uachtarán CLG, John Horan, discusses the latest changes to the GAA's return to activity guidelines that were announced today after recommendations made by the Covid-19 Advisory Committee. #GAA #GAABelong pic.twitter.com/67DEnpDqud

— The GAA (@officialgaa) June 20, 2020

From June 29:

 • Allow contact training and challenge games for all from Monday, June 29 (26 Counties). 

• We await guidance from the NI Executive in relation to 6 Counties – non-contact training in the numbers outlined above in the interim. 

• We also await clarification on what will constitute a close contact versus a casual contact. 

• Restriction on participants only attending training sessions to be relaxed from June 29 – subject to government specified maximum of 200 people in the ground. 

• Allow Club Fixtures from Friday July 17. 

• No change to inter-county dates (Sept 14 for training; competitions to start on Oct 17 as planned). 

• All control measures for players, coaches and other team personnel (completion of health questionnaire, eLearning education etc) is to remain in place until advised otherwise; dressing rooms to remain closed until July 20.

• The Advisory Committee is considering the position in relation to other GAA buildings (such as Club bars that are serving food, Gyms, Handball alleys etc). Guidance will be provided in this context before June 29.

"I don’t think that there is any room for complacency in this and people should carry out social distancing and washing hands and so on. People need to realise that the pandemic is still alive in parts of the world," said GAA president John Horan.

"It has been suppressed here in Ireland but it is not like the snow in that it has melted away and it is gone forever. There is still an element of it in the country but it is felt that it is so low in the country that we are in a safe position to return to GAA activity.

“We have always said as an organisation that we would look at, and take, our advice from the health authorities and the government and that we would be flexible," he added.

"We have shown this flexibility in that we have moved things forward safely and carefully. But we would now call on all our membership to be vigilant and careful and not to take this return on in a complacent manner because if we do then we are going to lose out again and things will have to be stopped.

“We are bringing forward the date from which the County Boards can schedule fixtures to July 17th (from July 31st) and that will reduce the compression of returning to fixtures and will also allow a little bit more leeway in terms of allowing matches to be played.”

"The dates that we originally set for intercounty (is not changed) … the resumption to training on September 14 with games from October 17, that remains in place.”