By REJEAN CANTLON

South Etobicoke gyms await Stage 3.

On July 13th the province announced that 18 of 32 regions within Ontario will enter Stage 3 to reopen which is slated to start on Friday, July 17th. Although South Etobicoke is not included in the group of 18, looking forward, some local sports minded citizens are anxious for what lies ahead for our local athletes.

According to provincial authorities, amateur and recreational sports could resume so long as they “do not allow prolonged or deliberate physical contact” between players.

So what does this exactly mean?

It means that contact sports like wrestling and judo are out, for now. South Etobicoke will remain in Stage 2 until it is safe to move on. Once we are in Stage 3, other sports with some form of contact like hockey, lacrosse or football maybe allowed as long as these sports can be modified to maintain physical distancing and as little contact as possible is made. The provincial directive goes on to say that recreational facilities in Stage 3 regions including, bowling alleys, gyms, play-ground equipment, and pool halls can open for business, as long as physical distancing (2 meters apart) is in place.

As South Etobicoke awaits the green light to move to Stage 3, government officials are clear to point out that despite much of the province opening up, it does not mean that life is back to normal. Officials state that restarting activities in stages will ensure we keep everyone safe, healthy and moving in a responsible way.