COVID-19 Safety Plan for Cairn Curran Sailing Club
Message from Australian Sailing (9 September 2021):
As you are aware, the premier made changes to the restrictions for Regional Victoria to come into effect at 11.59 pm 9th September.
The good news is that all the changes will result in a positive impact on our clubs.
Please, however, note, there are still activity cases in our community. We must be following the guidelines from the government.
These are:
* encourage the practice of social distancing
* display the Service Victoria QR code at entrance points
* remind everyone that if you are experiencing any symptoms, you should get tested for Covid -19 and self-isolate until you receive your results.
The DHHS website has not been updated with this detailed information and FAQs yet – so there will be some qualifications and translations to come.
Further information can be found https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/coronavirus-covidsafe-settings
Regional Victoria
Travel limit:
* Un-restricted within Regional Victoria No interstate travel is allowed (unless permitted)
* Face coverings:
- Must be carried at all times
- Must be worn indoors and outdoors,
- recommend primary-school-age children wear masks indoors and outdoors, except at home or if an exception applies
-Can be removed for strenuous activity or if an exception applies
Sport and Recreation
Training only, no competition permitted. Limited to the number required to participate (one parent may stay to supervise).
This includes Discover Sailing programs.
* Must only use outdoor facilities ( no indoor training allowed)
* Masks are required, and social distancing where required
* Training should only be open to members of your club ( no come and try programs)
* Club Rooms – Are closed – Toilets and first aid rooms may be used. (no access to showers ). Encourage your participants to come prepared to participate in their sport
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I also wanted to take this opportunity to highlight some issues regarding Solo Sailing.
With the recent lockdowns, there has been an increase in solo sailors on the water. Marine Safety Victoria has contacted our office to highlight the increased number of rescues to single-handed dinghy sailors. Sailing single-handed and without any company on the water is of concern to Australian Sailing, but recreational Sailing does not fall under the Special Regulations. However, we still believe there is an essential piece in education to our sailors that needs to come from Australian Sailing and from our clubs.
Recently Australian Sailing published an article on Stay Safer Dinghy Sailing. The article goes through basic checks for your boat, checking your sailing gear, understanding the weather etc. It is a great communication piece to share with your members. We have also invited Marine Safety Victoria to present at our local club conference, providing additional resources to clubs.
There are also some great resources that can be found at boating.vic.gov.au that cover both power and non-powered crafts. (https://www.boating.vic.gov.au/knowledgehub) And don’t forget to check out our resource page https://www.sailingresources.org.au/home/. We are strongly encouraging clubs to communicate to their members the increases risk that can come from solo sailing and highlight the need to take extra precautionary measures before going out alone.
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This Plan has been developed in accordance with the Community Sport and Physical Recreation Industry Restart Guidelines and the restriction level at the time (Closed, Heavily Restricted, Restricted, Open with a COVIDSafe Plan).
The plan will respond to changes in permitted levels of activity. So please revisit this Plan regularly, and after any changes in restriction levels.
General Hygiene & Behaviour Requirements
CCSC asks that all members, visitors, and the general public to get tested if you are feeling unwell and have any symptoms of COVID-19, no matter how mild, you should get tested for the health and wellbeing of our community.
The symptoms to watch out for are
CCSC advises all members, visitors, and contractors to be vigilant with hygiene measures including social distancing, and monitoring for symptoms of COVID-19, specifically fever and acute respiratory illness.
We ask that you remain home when unwell, and to observe any self-quarantine requirements. We also encourage you to visit your nearest testing centre.
CCSC is committed to limiting the spread of COVID-19 and will continue to implement COVID safe practices were necessary to reduce the risk of transmission.
The Community Sport and Recreation COVIDSafe Plan is grouped into six COVIDSafe principles:
1. Ensure physical distancing
2. Wear a face mask
3. Practise good hygiene
4. Keep records and act quickly if participants, volunteers or organisers become unwell
5. Avoid interactions in enclosed spaces
6. Create workforce/activity bubbles
These are addressed below.
1. Ensure physical distancing
2. Wear a face mask
3. Practise good hygiene
The following additional hygiene practices and behaviours should be considered:
4. Keep records and act quickly if participants, volunteers or organisers become unwell
5. Avoid interactions in enclosed spaces
6. Create workforce/activity bubbles
CCSC asks that all members, visitors, and the general public to get tested if you are feeling unwell and have any symptoms of COVID-19, no matter how mild, you should get tested for the health and wellbeing of our community.
The symptoms to watch out for are
- Headache
- Fever
- Chills or sweats
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Shortness of breath
- Runny nose
- Loss of sense of smell or taste
CCSC advises all members, visitors, and contractors to be vigilant with hygiene measures including social distancing, and monitoring for symptoms of COVID-19, specifically fever and acute respiratory illness.
We ask that you remain home when unwell, and to observe any self-quarantine requirements. We also encourage you to visit your nearest testing centre.
CCSC is committed to limiting the spread of COVID-19 and will continue to implement COVID safe practices were necessary to reduce the risk of transmission.
The Community Sport and Recreation COVIDSafe Plan is grouped into six COVIDSafe principles:
1. Ensure physical distancing
2. Wear a face mask
3. Practise good hygiene
4. Keep records and act quickly if participants, volunteers or organisers become unwell
5. Avoid interactions in enclosed spaces
6. Create workforce/activity bubbles
These are addressed below.
1. Ensure physical distancing
- Participants should maintain social distancing, at least 1.5m distance apart.
- Any tasks that can be done at home, should be done at home (e.g. debriefing, online meetings).
- Take care wherever you go, assume others may be carrying the virus
2. Wear a face mask
- Face masks must be carried at all times.
- A mask must be of at least two plies and covers the nose and mouth to provide the wearer protection against infection. Face shields on their own do not meet these requirements.
- All participants, volunteers and organisers entering the venue/facility wear a face mask as per public health advice.
- Updated public health advice on masks is available at: www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/how-we-live
- When public health advice requirements require mask wearing then:
- masks should be taken home for disposal
- masks must be worn at all times except when out of breath or puffing from strenuous exercise or unless a lawful exception applies. These include:
Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing, where the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication.
Persons for whom wearing a face mask would create a risk to that person’s health and safety related to their work, as determined through OH&S guidelines.
Persons whose professions require clear enunciation or visibility of their mouth. This includes teaching or live broadcasting.
Professional sportspeople when training or competing.
When you are doing any exercise or physical activity where you are out of breath or puffing. Examples include jogging or running, but not walking. You must carry a face mask on you and wear it when you finish exercising.
Cloth masks should be washed each day after use. However, if during the day the mask is visibly dirty or wet, the mask needs to be changed immediately and the dirty mask stored in an airtight bag or container until it can be washed.
3. Practise good hygiene
The following additional hygiene practices and behaviours should be considered:
- Eliminate sharing drink bottles, towels, etc.
- Limit the shared use of equipment.
- Equipment that cannot be effectively cleaned (for example, if made from soft materials or clothing) should not be shared.
- Where sharing of equipment cannot be avoided, equipment with smooth surfaces should be cleaned between sessions, lifejackets, helmets, winch handles, beach trolleys, radios, etc.
- Arrive dressed and ready to sail. Limit the use of communal facilities except for toilets. If possible shower at home instead of at the club.
- Avoid communal sharing of food, finger food etc.
- Regular cleaning of communal areas including door knobs, showers, changing areas, toilets, bar, tables and kitchen areas.
- Cleaning is the responsibility of the duty crew at the start of each sailing day; and all club members at other times.
- Cleaning equipment (including detergent and disinfectant) is kept in the cupboard at the southern end of the main boat storage area.
- make soap and hand sanitiser available for all participants, volunteers and organisers throughout the venue/facility and encourage regular handwashing
- Display a cleaning log for shared spaces.
- Providing contactless pay option for bar.
4. Keep records and act quickly if participants, volunteers or organisers become unwell
- Complete QR code or register attendance in the log sheets in the clubhouse every time you visit CCSC. We need records of all people who enter the venue/facility (ie clubhouse and grounds) for more than 15 minutes for contact tracing. This does not include passive users of foreshore and water.
- Records will be kept electronically or in hard copy for at least 28 days. This Information may be given to DHHS should contract tracing be required.
- We recommend that members download the Australian Government COVID-19 contact tracing app (COVIDSafe).
- Any gatherings maintain the social density/distancing protocols in accordance with DHHS recommendations.
- The protocols for people who present to sailing with symptoms consistent with COVID-19 (fever or respiratory symptoms such as cough, sore throat and shortness of breath):
- In an environment of community transmission of COVID-19, any individual with respiratory symptoms (cough, sore throat, fever or shortness of breath), even if mild, should be considered a possible case of COVID-19.
- Anyone who is unwell should be isolated and referred to a doctor in accordance with local Public Health Authority guidelines.
- All protocol should be taken to ensure participants are free of coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms. Community sailing members, staff, volunteers, officials, spectators and parents should not return to sport if in the last 14 days they have been unwell or had close contact with a known or suspected case of COVID-19.
- A participant with a possible case of COVID-19 should refrain from attending until they have been cleared to do so by a doctor.
- See Response to suspected COVID 19 Case at CCSC below.
5. Avoid interactions in enclosed spaces
- Where practicable activities will be conducted outdoors
- Density limits on each enclosed space will be displayed on or near doors/entry points when required by DHSS recommendations
- Activities will reduce the amount of time participants, volunteers, organisers, parents, carers and anyone in attendance are spending in enclosed spaces (e.g. entrances, foyers, bathrooms, changerooms and clubhouses).
- Open ventilation of clubhouse will occur to enhance airflow, when practical.
6. Create workforce/activity bubbles
- Duty crews to be recorded as per duty roster on the Sailing Program
- Working bees to maintain social distancing especially in enclosed spaces
- Avoid car pooling
- Maintain density limits and signage on shared indoor spaces when required.
- Avoid excessive crew changes.
- Maintain records of crews/ sailors.
Response to a Suspected Case of COVID-19
Members, visitors, or contractors with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 require appropriate healthcare support. Special considerations in the management of a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 case in CCSC include:
- Immediate isolation to minimise interaction and the spread.
- If COVID-19 is suspected, medical review and testing should be sought.
- Principal Race Officer to immediately notify WorkSafe Victoria on 13 23 60 and DHSS if we have identified a person with coronavirus (COVID-19) at the venue/facility.
- We will identify and implement enhanced infection control measures.
- CCSC will implement surveillance for further cases and contact tracing.
- Review outbreak plans and requirements for implementation.
- If required, closure and cease operations for a period while there is an investigation underway and/or to assist with transmission reduction.
- As required, additional cleaning and disinfection of the premises as required by DHHS.
- Furthermore, the DHHS may request information from us to assist with contact tracing and we will make this freely available. DHHS will contact anyone who is identified as a close contact of the case.
- CCSC would remain closed until the satisfactory cleaning, disinfecting and sanitation has taken place and DHHS is happy with the appropriate preventative measures taken for the CCSC reopen.
- Notifying Worksafe when the venue/facility is reopening
- CCSC will respect the privacy of people with a confirmed case of coronavirus and treat their condition with understanding and compassion.
- Anyone who tests positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) should remain in home isolation until they have been notified by DHHS that they are no longer required to isolate and have met its criteria for release.
- If you are determined as being in close contact of a person with coronavirus, you should not visit CCSC for 14 days after your last close contact and must quarantine during this period as directed by DHHS. During quarantine, you should watch for COVID-19 symptoms, seek medical assessment and get tested.
- In an event that CCSC Contractors and/or Members who have visited the grounds or employees of CCSC are directed to be quarantined, the Club will need to consider its operational capacity to operate.
- Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) may contact CCSC if anyone who had visited the club was a confirmed case of coronavirus (COVID-19). CCSC would in this instance work with DHHS to implement the recommended protocols.
Updated C. Thompson, Thursday 9th September in accordance with advice from Australian Sailing 9th September 2021
