Following the Welsh Government First Minister announcing in August that Children aged 11 and under no longer have to social distance where it is not practical to do so, we have received an number of enquiries seeking clarification for what this means as for judo in Wales as we return to training in the AMBER phase. The Welsh Sports Association (WSA) sought guidance on its relation to Sport, and the Welsh Government responded with: 

“In circumstances where young children mix with others, it may not be practical to attempt to maintain continual 2 metre distancing (between children, or even between children and adults). This is in part because it is harder for younger children to understand the concept of physical distancing, and in part because appropriate support from carers will often require closer contact. For young children (those of primary school age or younger), it is in any case less essential to attempt to rigidly maintain continual 2 metre distance between them, or between the children and any adults outside their household or extended household. Studies have found that young children are less likely to transmit the virus, whether to other children or to adults, and the virus appears to take a milder course in children than in adults for most cases. However as young children can still transmit the virus, parents of young children should still exercise their good judgement and take care, especially to encourage their children to follow had hygiene measures and keep close contact to a minimum where possible”.

This statement – certainly the final sentence – has been taken to encourage sport to comply with 2m social distancing.

Please find the full WSA statement below.