Guidelines for Orienteering in England 16 October 2020

On 12 October the Prime Minister announced a new system of COVID-19 restrictions to replace the existing local lockdown measures in individual areas.

Under the new scheme, local areas will be placed in one of three tiers; Tier 1 (Medium), Tier 2 (High) and Tier 3 (Very High).

Tier 1 areas are subject to the existing national restriction measures such as the ‘rule of six’.

Those areas within Tier 2 see additional restrictions, such as a ban on households mixing indoors.

In Tier 3 areas, indoor gyms, fitness and dance studios and indoor sports facilities are required to close by law.

However, an exemption applies which allows these venues to be used by under 18s and people with a disability. Within each of these tiers, organised outdoor sporting activity can continue and remains exempt from restrictions on the number of people allowed to gather, subject to this taking place under approved guidance.

Detailed guidance on what you can do in each of these tiers is available here:

• Tier 1
• Tier 2
• Tier 3

The government has also published a postcode checker to find out which tier your local area is in.

The new system has implications for orienteering and we have updated our Return to Orienteering Guidance.

Anyone organising or taking part in an orienteering event or activity must ensure that they are aware of the local COVID alert level both in their home area and at the intended venue for their activity, and act in line with the restrictions which apply.

British Orienteering has created a matrix of activities to show which orienteering activities are permitted at each alert level, subject to landowner permission.