Sports in the Nordic countries during COVID-19

NORDIC GOVERNMENT INFORMATION ON CORONAVIRUS

Click here to find a general overview on www.norden.org with links to Nordic government information on Coronavirus.

FAROE ISLANDS

Testing and isolation has been very well organized. 16% of population is tested. Only 2 people infected right now. Sports facilities were closed, but could open again from April 14th and many have done that. Training is allowed, but have to follow national restrictions. A max of 50 people gathered, a 100 for funerals. Winter sports cancelled competitions for the rest of the year. Other competition started up again from 9th of May. Football premiere league begun with live streaming, which apparently is quite popular in Norway. Virtual running and similar initiatives are growing. All sport organisation are in charge of making plans for opening, which have to be approved by a special council.

Updates

ICELAND

Organized sports activities for children are permitted outdoors with a limitation of maximum of 50 children in a group. All participants to keep 2 meter distance, especially in older age groups.

Other organized sports activities are permitted outdoors with limitations: Maximum 4 individuals can train or play together. Touching is prohibited, and individuals are to stay two meters apart. The use of shared equipment should be limited, and all equipment sanitized after every use. All indoor sports facilities still closed.

Updates

FINLAND

Elementary schools open from 14th of may, also outdoor sports. Sport leagues, and some indoor facilities and swim halls open from June 1st with restrictions. Attendance capacity restricted to 500, waiting on more details, health regulations for opening not ready yet. More activities open in July.

Organized sports have been struggling, but government are preparing supplementary budgets for clubs, compensations. Normal funding for building facilities, but not sure if or how it will affect the future funding, hopefully the compensation will cover the losses. Compensation for clubs is made by special public created funds – same in Norway and Denmark. Government funding for building sports facilities are given out as normal (from state lottery funding).

Updates

GREENLAND

Almost all facilities have opened up and are back to normal functionality, but still with a limit of 100 people gathered. There is no active cases of coronavirus in the country.

Updates

SWEDEN

Have open facilities and sports is basically going on, but not with a lot of audience. Day to day sport can go on fully like normal days. Public baths are open with regulations. The sports clubs a really good in adapting their activities to health regulations. Far less participants. Most activity outside. 50 person limit. Many people want their fees back, some clubs suffer financially, governmental fundings and solutions being worked on. Many variations in different regions. Stockholm most targeted. No competitions – online competitions is starting up.

A digital e-service of risk analysis has been made. Leaders have to do risk analysis on teams, which works really good. A set up foundation prevents any clubs from going bankrupt. Clubs can postpone bills till 1st of september, all facilities are free of rent till end of July. A lot is done to prevent and preserve the clubs, they can do almost all winter sports, but have cancelled a few events.

Updates

NORWAY

All sports activites and events cancelled. All close physical contact not allowed, 2-meter distance and no more than 5 people in a group. Until July 15th so far. Careful opening of football pitches for training. People have been walking to an extent never seen. A lot of hiking and running in nature. Introduction for people to the joy of walking. All indoor facilities closed down. Slow opening for individual sports. Supply change started to weaken especially for deliviries from southern parts of europe. Most of contractors and ingeneers are almost back to normal. Huge push from sports association, especially professional football. Opening slowly but with no audiences. Possible to ski a bit stilll. People organize on the spot. But many clubs suffering both in activity and financially.

Updates

DENMARK

Outdoor sports activity allowed from May 11th with a maximum of 10 people per activity (e.g. 10 people per football pitch, no matter pitch size), in all cases 2 meter distance. All indoor facilities still closed. Professional sports open again but with no spectators. Besides from this, a lot of innovative digital solutions and joint digital trainings in the general public as well. Some fitness centers have made exercize stations outside as well. Indoor sports and a lot more are expected to start up on june 8th.

There has been a great drop of people who are normally sports active, but an increase in people who normally aren’t – most likely do to new digital programs, online classes, alternative training forms and so on. 

A lot of planned public building activity has been forwarded, some projects with up to two years. This also includes renovating sports facilities and startup on new building of sport facilities if already planned.

The Danish football club AGF is planning a “virtual stadium” where fans are present through large screens with videochat windows.

Here is an Article with questions and answers to the specifics of the restrictions on sports facilities (in danish only).

Updates