Football venues still closed but Premier League given green light to restart
- Only swimming pools will reopen this week as the government relaxes social distancing measures
- The Football Association obtains special permission to use public facilities provided that people involved adhere to strict hygiene requirements
While football pitches are closed to the public amid pandemic control measures, the Hong Kong Football Association has been given an exemption to use venues for the restart of the local Premier League on Saturday.
The competition has been suspended since March.
Only swimming pools can reopen on Friday which have not been allowed to open under the last three phases of the pandemic owing to the higher infection risk involved as the government relaxed measures on hygiene control. Team game facilities such as soccer pitches and basketball courts, however, are still closed.
However, Premier League games will be featured again in public venues after a long absence since its suspension in March due to the pandemic outbreak.
“The government still has some reservation reopening football grounds as close body contact occurs in our sport which may cause infection,” said association chairman Pui Kwan-kay. “But we have been given special permission to use the facilities for our league competitions, provided we follow all the strict hygiene requirements.
