Coronavirus: Outdoor sports to resume on Isle of Man

Sports will have to adapt to social distancing guidelines on the Isle of Man

Some outdoor sports on the Isle of Man can resume from Saturday provided social distancing and gathering rules are adhered to, the government said.

Permitted activities include tennis, football and cricket but indoor venues such as gyms must remain closed.

The easing of restrictions is only for "leisure and recreation" purposes though - no fixtures or events can take place, a government spokesman said.

Any organiser breaking the new rules could face a fine of up to £2,500.

Most sports and activities have been restricted since March because of the island's coronavirus outbreak.

• EASY STEPS: What should I do?

• CONTAINMENT: What it means to self-isolate

• MAPS AND CHARTS: Visual guide to the outbreak

• VIDEO: The 20-second hand wash

Walking and cycling have been permitted throughout while golf and recreational fishing were allowed to resume earlier this month with social distancing measures in place.

Following a further easing of restrictions surrounding gatherings earlier this week, the government has issued a list of 23 sports that can resume, albeit with some adaptations.

In line with the new rules on gatherings, no more than 10 people are allowed to take part - including coaches.

Participants must remain more than two metres apart.

The sharing of equipment is not allowed and anything that has been used during an activity must be cleaned afterwards.

Sports such as rugby, netball, football and hockey must be adapted to adhere to the new guidelines.

"No element of the sport or physical activity is to involve contact," the government spokesman added.

There have been a total of 336 positive cases for coronavirus on the Isle of Man, with 24 deaths.