On Friday afternoon, Prime Minister Stefan Löfven (S) announced that all municipal activities that are not considered necessary should be closed immediately.
As an example, he mentioned sports facilities.
The restrictions also apply to children's sports.
Two days after the press conference, the Swedish Public Health Agency (FHM) has not updated its recommendations for indoor training.
Nor does the Government Offices mention anything about sports facilities in their written communication.
During the weekend, the country's 290 municipalities had to analyze what the restrictions actually mean, which opened up for interpretations.
- The Prime Minister was asked about this at the press conference last Friday, and he could not really answer.
There was no clear message as to how they had thought, nor will anything come out in writing, says Sports Citizens' Councilor Karin Ernlund (C) in Stockholm.
Stockholm Municipality decided on Saturday to close down all activities for all ages at all the city's sports facilities, both indoors and outdoors.
Gothenburg also closes all sports facilities for children and young people, both indoors and outdoors.
Malmö is also preparing a closure, the city office tells TT.
And the same applies to a large number of municipalities around the country.
Confusion in the sports movement
Unclear restrictions have led to great confusion among coaches and leaders in the sports associations, according to Ernlund.
- The Swedish Public Health Agency continues to say that children and young people can exercise as usual, at the same time as the government says that we must close our activities.
The decision to close was made after a dialogue with Region Stockholm's infection control on Saturday.
- Then came clearer recommendations on how we should interpret the restrictions.
That we discontinue the organized sports activities because it contributes to crowds, but also to travel within the region, says Ernlund.
Gothenburg and Malmö close
As before, elite athletes must be exempted from the restrictions, was the message from the Prime Minister on Friday.
- It is difficult to distinguish elite operations based on broad operations.
It can be at the individual level in individual associations who is at the elite level and who is not.
Not least in individual sports such as martial arts and athletics, says Per-Erik Ebbeståhl, management strategist at the city office in Malmö.
The municipality of Malmö is now rapidly investigating the consequences of closing the sports facilities for children and young people.
- Young people disappear elsewhere.
They do not necessarily stay at home, says Ebbeståhl.
"Extremely jerky"
As recently as Monday, FHM introduced new national councils that opened the door for older children to exercise indoors, as long as the activities are conducted in an infectious manner.
On Thursday, therefore, the municipality of Gothenburg opened the sports facilities for young people born earlier than 2005.
- It became extremely jerky.
So we had time to be open to all age groups for a day before this came and we had to shut everything down, says Elisabet Lann (KD), chairman of the sports and association committee in Gothenburg.
New message on Monday
FHM's press officer writes in an email to TT on Sunday that new recommendations on sports facilities will be made on Monday.
“Anders Tegnell (state epidemiologist) greets that we make recommendations about sports facilities tomorrow and that it is local adaptation that applies.
This means that you have to adapt locally according to assessments of the risk of congestion ”.
But then several municipalities have already decided on a total shutdown.
- I do not know if you should interpret it as the Public Health Agency working a little unclear and then the government does not think it is enough and takes in a little more.
Because it does not feel like there is any planning or foresight in this.
There will be double signals and sharp throws, says Elisabet Lann.
KLIPP: Government: Close all state and regional sports halls (18 December 2020)
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Stefan Löfven announced that sports facilities will now be closed.
Photo: Bildbyrån.