Guidelines for Physical Activity
On this page:
1. Play, active recreation and sport guidelines for Alert Level 1
2. Guidelines for physical educators in primary, intermediate and secondary school environments
Play, Active Recreation and Sport at Alert Level 1
Updated Tuesday 9 June
On Monday the Government announced that from 11:59pm Monday 8 June, the country will move to Alert Level 1. Play, active recreation and sport is now able to take place without physical distancing and there are no gathering limits.
We encourage you to maintain good hygiene habits on and off the field to ensure we can continue to play and keep our communities safe. While none of the public health requirements are mandatory – it is important to remain vigilant to minimise the risk of community transmission. Under Alert Level 1 the disease is contained in New Zealand, but COVID-19 remains uncontrolled overseas. The main controls under Alert Level 1 are border restrictions and managed isolation or quarantine for people entering the country.
Sport NZ has produced a new Alert Level 1 table and the following guidance for the physical activity sector:
- There are no restrictions on businesses and services (including hospitality), no restrictions on gathering, no requirements for physical distancing, and no requirements to keep records to enable contact tracing. You should still maintain QR codes however where possible, to allow people to log where they have been.
- In Alert Level 1 we should be prepared to quickly move into higher alert levels if we need to.
- As mass gatherings limits are removed, large events such as sports games or tournaments are able to go ahead. Organisers are encouraged to adopt the COVID Code (details coming soon) and should be aware they may be asked to postpone or cancel gatherings under the circumstance that a significant outbreak has re-occurred, or if case numbers increase.
For any additional questions on Alert Level 2 guidelines please send them to covid19response@sportnz.org.nz.
Alert Level 2 guidelines for physical educators in primary, intermediate and secondary school environments
Updated Friday 15 May
This document has been prepared for a New Zealand context, based on public health guidelines and our NZ Government Alert Levels. It provides ideas for physical education or physical activity contexts to support physical distancing when equipment or sports gear cannot be shared between children, and they must be 2m apart. Senior leaders, HODs, HPE leaders and teachers can engage with these guidelines and ideas.
Please note - these guidelines have been updated since the start of the week.
Please note, there are different Ministry of Health Guidelines for Early Childhood Centres (ECC) - view here
Other Resources
Sport NZ
Sport NZ have the following resources available on their website:
- Alert level table - Alert Level 2
- Mass gatherings guidance - Alert Level 2
- Frequently Asked Questions - Alert Level 2
- Play, Active Recreation and Sport at Alert Level 3
- A Guide to Sport and Recreation during Alert Level 3 (infographic)
- Frequently asked questions regarding Alert Level 3
You can view more information and resources on the Sport NZ website.
Physical Education New Zealand
The following guidelines, as well as more resources can be found on the Physical Education New Zealand website.
Government
On 11 May the Government also released more information on how different alert levels will work more generally. Please click on the tables below to find out more.
- Summary table of the COVID-19 Alert Level - updated 11 May 2020
- Detailed table of the COVID-19 Alert Level - new as of 11 May 2020
You can view the latest information on the Government's COVID-19 website.
Updated 12 May
