Caitlin Dillon
The Ministry of Culture and Sports, in collaboration with the Qatar National Sports Day Committee has announced the protocol for this year’s National Sports Day, taking place on the 9th of February, amid the ongoing battle to curb the spread of coronavirus.
In line with the Ministry of Public Heath’s guidelines, all organised events must take place in outdoor settings, with indoor settings prohibited. Other regulations, such as mask wearing, temperature checks and Ehteraz checks, must also be adhered to.
See the full list of healthcare measures and protocol below.
SPORTS DAY TRAINING AND VENUE PREPARATION:
• All activities, training and preparation before and during the event must be conducted entirely
in outdoor settings. Activities in indoor settings are entirely prohibited.
• Participants will be arriving at the training/ preparation venues for training/participating in
the events in buses or private vehicles. The players should be transported in small groups to
avoid spreading the infection while maintaining 1.5 meters distance while seated on buses
(maximum of 25 occupants in 50 passenger capacity bus). As for private cars, no more than
4 people are allowed in each car including the driver. All occupants should be wearing face
masks during transit.
• Once the participants reach the venue, close interaction with other people should be avoided
and a safe distance must be maintained at all times.
• It is recommended to avoid shaking hands, hugging or kissing at all times.
• The safe distance of at least 1.5 meters must be strictly maintained during training,
preparations and during the event itself. Participants are advised, while talking to other
participants /staff/event organizers to maintain a distance of 1.5 meters while avoiding face-toface interactions.
• Local Organizing Committee (LOC) should assign staff at training/participation venues to
check all participants’ temperatures each day. Additional staff/volunteers should be assigned
to reinforce compliance with safe distance and masks requirements and other health
measures.
• Good hygiene also includes ensuring that all participants are not to share clothing, towels,
soap or other personal items and that they use their own drinking bottles and not share them
with others. They should wash hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand
sanitizer as alternative. Hand sanitizer stations should be available all over the event venues
and on buses.
• All participants and spectators must be reminded to adhere to health measures, especially
physical distancing and wearing face masks. Participants’ use of common showers and
changing rooms should be avoided at all venues.
• All participants must download the “Ehteraz” app. Only those who have a green status are
allowed to enter.
• Ensure that all used spaces and surfaces are cleaned and disinfected on regular basis.
• Provide visual reminders and health awareness materials such as banners or posters.
• Provide an isolation area for anyone showing COVID-19 symptoms, and notify health officials.
QUARANTINE AT THE HOTEL:
• All international participants or guests, if applicable, are required to enter into a hotel
quarantine as per Qatar’s specific regulation and quarantine protocol in force at the time.
• Guests might be required to undergo Covid-19 testing upon arrival and 6 days after arrival.
• Upon arrival at the hotel, participants/guests will undergo thermal scanning and might be
interviewed and screened for possible Covid-19 symptoms and signs. If the participant is
found to be symptomatic (with fever, cough, flu-like symptoms… etc.) or showing other
symptoms and signs he/she will be set for further assessment by medical staff at the nearest
healthcare facility/Emergency department and could be referred to a designated hospital for
further assessment and management accordingly.
COVID-19 TESTING:
• All participants, as appropriate, should submit a certificate of clearance of Covid-19 (Negative
RT-PCR or equivalent test) performed 72 hours prior to participation in the event.
• RT-PCR or equivalent testing will be conducted using a mid-turbinate nasal swab at Hamad
Medical Corporation (HMC) or the National Reference Lab.
• Participants who test positive for Covid-19 will not allowed to participate unless they have
completely recovered i.e. after the lapse of 14 days of diagnosis and at least 5 days of
disappearance of any Covid-19 symptoms and signs, or the lapse of 10 days of a positive PCR
test in an asymptomatic individual.
• Refusal of swabbing for PCR or equivalent testing will result in dismissal from participation in
the event training and the event itself.
TRANSPORTATION:
• In the case of participants’ arrival on a bus, they should be transported in small groups while
maintaining the 1.5 meters distance to avoid spreading infection (maximum of 25 occupants
in 50 passenger capacity bus). If participants arriving in private cars, the maximum number of
occupants is 4 as per the MOPH guideline.
• The participants will be asked to wear masks throughout the entire period while being in
transport vehicles, and other times except during exercise.
CATERING:
• Meals should be served in accordance with the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) guidance for
catering during Exhibitions/Conferences/Cultural Events. Only ready-made or prepackaged
meals are allowed during preparations, training and during the actual event with a minimum
of 2 meters distance between tables in all directions with not more than 4 people seated on
same table and with 1.5 meter distance between people if on the same table.
• Food outlets and concessions at venue are restricted to ready-made take-away in disposable
packaging. Prepackaged, grab and go food meals and drinks to shorten waiting time for
customers are preferred. Dining in outdoor settings is preferred over indoor settings.
• Queues for obtaining meals must comply with the minimum of 1.5m physical distancing
precautions – mark floors to ensure compliance and provide staff or volunteers to ensure
public compliance. No buffet food is to be served in any venue.
SPORT EVENTS:
• All participants must maintain a minimum of 1.5 meters safe distance during the parade and
during the training for the parade.
• Masks are mandatory and should be worn all the time except during exercise.
• No cheering, live choir or live group singing is allowed during training or at the events.
• Individual protection packages must be provided for participants containing:
° Small personal packages of disposable tissues and plastic bags for tissue disposal.
° Several medical masks to wear.
° Small packages of alcohol-based hand wipes or hand sanitizer.
OTHER PUBLIC HEALTH MEASURES:
• Participants need to guarantee physical distancing of 1.5 meters preventing face to face
gatherings and avoiding handshakes, hugs, kissing, and general person-to-person contact.
When seated, people should maintain the required safe distance at any time anywhere during
the event.
• Provide trash cans with lids to dispose of used tissues on all buses and in all facilities and in
areas where the public will be seated.
• Anyone participating in the event who is feeling ill should not come to the venues and should
be advised to visit the nearest health center.
• Pre-event meetings are strongly recommended to be conducted online. If physical meetings
are deemed inevitable, they should be done preferably in outdoor settings while maintaining
the safe distance of 1.5 meters and wearing masks for all during the entire meeting period. If
indoor meeting is required, the meeting should not include more than 15 participants in the
meeting at a time while wearing masks. Social gatherings are strictly prohibited during the
event.
• Ensure good hygiene signage across all venues, preparation rooms, toilets, and training
facilities, etc.
• It is preferable to have a medical post (field clinic and paramedics) and designated personnel
on site to help assess urgent cases if needed.
• Team staff and volunteer leads should ensure that their teams and volunteers are briefed
on the protocols for suspected and confirmed Covid-19 cases, on infection prevention and
control measures and on where to find or seek more information.
AUDIENCE AND SPECTATORS:
Spectators will be allowed to attend while maintaining all the required health measures, including
masks for all and physical distance of at least 1.5 meters from other spectators in all directions, as
well as the following:
• Spectator capacity will not exceed 3minimum of 1.5 m physical distance in all directions.
• Family groups of the same household can sit together either on the stands or in the open, but
with the same minimum of 1.5m distance from other families in all directions.
• Check EHTERAZ App is downloaded, check that the status is green to allow entry.
• Thermal screening must be conducted for employees, athletes, and the public before entering
the stands area or rally place, entry will be prohibited for those with temperature above 37.8
degrees.
• Gates are to open early to avoid crowding at the entrances.
• Avoid crowding during spectators entry and exit areas maintaining a safe distance between
people all the time.
• All spectators must wear face masks all the time.
• Makeshift sale outlets at venue inside and outside the seating areas are allowed if necessary,
according to MOPH guidelines for Restaurants..
• Smoking is not allowed on the stands and in public places.
• Designated smoking rooms/areas should be approved by the relevant MOPH department.
• Vulnerable and high-risk groups including those over 60, people with chronic illnesses and
people with disabilities, should be discouraged from attending the event for their own safety.
• Make special considerations for vulnerable groups if attendance is inevitable, keep vulnerable
groups safe and protected all the time with strict adherence to public health measures.
• No spitting, no cheering, no live choir and no live singing by spectators as this can spread the
virus.
• The health authorities might decide, any time based on the level of spread of infection in
the community, to hold the event behind closed doors (no spectators) or even recommend
postponing the event if necessary.
For more general health and prevention information, inquiries can be directed to the Ministry
of Public Health, including inquiries and compliance issues relating to the above-mentioned
requirements.