Israel opened schools back up at the beginning of May, and places like shops and gyms re-opened on May 7 as the nation has progressed quickly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the Israel Swimming Association has announced its plan to return in full.
The next five weeks or so will see the return of all clubs, followed by dual meets and other small competitions restarting in July. In August, a national meet (of sorts) is in plans for the second half of the month.
- June – All clubs are back to normal activity. Most have already returned to their regular training agenda as it is.
- July – Dual meets and other regional competitions will be held, per restrictions from the ministry of health.
- August – A national competition will be held in the second half of the month (accurate dates will be announced shortly).
The August national competition will replace the Israeli National Championships which was canceled due to the pandemic. This national competition won’t include a full schedule. Additionally, there are plans being drawn up for a junior national meet replacement along with one for masters swimmers.
Israel has a relatively small national population of 8.8 million (just a few hundred thousand more than New York City), though they’ve accumulated just 16,670 cases and 279 deaths due to COVID-19.
The meet in August is not Nationals, nor is is a replacement meet. It will be conducted in SCM. They made clear that Nationals, which is normally LCM, has been cancelled. Summer Nationals has a lot of implications on government funding for the club teams, so it is important for them to note that this meet is not replacing Summer Nationals.