Covid-19 Protocols
Table of Contents
BACKGROUND
The Victorian State Government has imposed restrictions to minimise the spread of COVID-19. LAVic has developed a set of protocols to assist metropolitan Melbourne Affiliated Centres commence competition and training activities, in alignment with advice from Sport & Recreation Victoria (SRV), Vicsport, and the Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS).
INTRODUCTION
In order to comply with Government and LAVic operating protocols, Mornington Little Athletics Centre (MLAC) will be operating under a different set of rules from previous seasons. The protocols outlined below reflect the requirements set out by LAVic and Sports & Recreation Victoria (SRV) and other governing bodies.
We strongly encourage our members and families to review the full document “LAVic Metropolitan Melbourne COVID-19 Protocols". We also encourage MLAC families to download the CovidSafe App. If you have any questions, please contact our CovidSafe Officials or Committee Members.
REGISTERED MEMBERS
All attendees attending a sanctioned MLAC training or competition event must be registered with LAVIC. Members can be registered and paid or registered as Trial Athletes. Unfortunately, if your athlete is not registered with LAVIC, you cannot attend a MLAC event.
QR CODE CHECK IN
It is a requirement that all attendees for training and competition sessions register their attendance for contact tracing purposes. All attendees will be required to register their attendance via the Service Victoria QR Code and provide their contact details. The MLAC Service Victoria QR Code will be printed and available to scan at the Civic Reserve Entrance gates and also via the MLAC Office.
QR Codes will also be printed and published in each Age Group folder for any attendee who needs to check-in. Please note that all data collected via the Covid Attendance register is strictly for Government contact tracing purposes and will be deleted after 28 days. If you have any questions, please contact our CovidSafe Officials or Committee Members.
PROGRAM SCHEDULE
Under current protocols, all attendees are encouraged to “Get in, Compete/Train, Get out” in order to minimise social contact. If advised by LAVIC and State Government requirements of a maximum numbers of athletes, parents, officials and volunteers, MLAC may decided to run two separate sessions on Saturday mornings – this will minimise the total number of attendees on the field at any one time.
The first 10 minutes of each session will be for MLAC Officials and Age Group Managers to brief athletes, parents and volunteers on how the program will run for the day including social distancing, hand hygiene and equipment sanitizing protocols and to ensure attendance has been registered online.
The program schedule is subject to change if restrictions are further eased and are subject to Government mandates and LAVIC approvals for sanctioned training and competition.
SOCIAL DISTANCING
There is a requirement to maintain social distance (>1.5 metres) between all attendees and parents/volunteers. This is not required during running events but should be adhered to as much as possible whilst waiting for the next turn or event.
It is expected that parents and volunteers maintain social distancing during each session and encourage their children to do the same. All attendees should avoid all contact with others, such as handshaking and giving high fives.
HYGIENE PROTOCOLS
The following hygiene protocols must be adhered to:
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Face masks are to be worn by all attendees 12 years of age and older, including athletes when not competing, (i.e. when they are not on the field of play).
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Participants must use hand sanitiser prior to commencement and completion of any sanctioned activity.
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Participants must thoroughly wash their hands after using the toilets.
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Athletes are required to sanitise their hands after sneezing/coughing.
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Hand sanitiser must be provided for use at athlete sign in, toilets, each event site and at the BBQ.
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Disinfectant wipes must be available at each event site where equipment is used.
Athletes, coaches, officials, Centre administrators, volunteers and parents/carers at sanctioned competition and training activities are advised to:
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Regularly and thoroughly wash hands;
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Carry and use hand sanitiser;
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Cover a sneeze or cough with an elbow or a tissue rather than hands;
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Immediately dispose of used tissues in the bin;
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Avoid close contact with people who are unwell;
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Limit the touching of eyes, nose or mouth;
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Not spit or clear nasal/respiratory secretions;
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Avoid contact with other participants, inclusive of handshakes, high fives, huddles and celebrations.
Any suspected COVID-19 infections at the Centre must be reported to the COVID-19 Hotline: 1800 675 398 (open 24 hours, 7 days).
MASKS
It is a requirement that athletes aged 12 years and over wear face masks whilst they are not competing if they cannot maintain a safe social distance. All officials, parents, volunteers must wear face masks at every session if they cannot maintain a safe social distance.
Whilst an athlete is competing in an event, it is the responsibility of each parent to hold the mask until the event has been completed. Once the event is complete, the Athlete (12 years and over) must put a face mask on.
EQUIPMENT
Athletes will be required to sanitise their hands after using shared, or their own equipment.
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For competition, throwing implements are to be cleaned with disinfectant wipes after
every attempt.
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For High jump: all forms of high jump are permissible, with the following provisos:
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that all equipment is thoroughly cleaned after the session;
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each athlete sanitises their hands after each jump.
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For Javelin: for the purposes of clarity, javelin is a permitted event.
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For Long & triple jump: when athletes are leaving the pit, athletes must clean their hands of
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sand and sanitise.
It is greatly appreciated that parents & volunteers assist the Age Group manager with sanitization and cleansing of equipment after each turn.
UNIFORMS
It is compulsory for athletes in all sanctioned competition:
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to wear their Centre uniform;
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to display their Commonwealth Bank patch;
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to have a Coles badge properly affixed to their uniform, in accordance with uniform guidelines;
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Not to share uniforms or other clothing (hats, tops).
PARENTS/VOLUNTEERS
Only one parent/guardian is permitted to be present to supervise their child/children at all times.
Please note, where a family is rostered on for duties, regular volunteers, or is selected to fulfil volunteering duties, both parents/guardians are permitted to be in attendance for purposes of child supervision.
Parents/Volunteers also note that we are not allowed to use the Age Group trolleys this year to contain athletes drink bottles, warm clothes, hats etc. As such, it is recommended for parents to bring a bag to keep athlete’s personal items, mask and drink bottles to keep such items separated from other’s items.
Finally, it is greatly appreciated for all parents to assist with conducting the event and ensuring we maintain good hygiene practices. As such, parents/volunteers can assist the Age Group manager with sanitizing athlete’s hands after each turn and with sanitizing equipment (shotput, discuss, javelin etc).
COVID SAFE OFFICIALS (CSO) REQUIREMENTS
MLAC Committee members are designated as CovidSafe Officials (CSO) and will be pro-actively monitoring attendees to ensure compliance with these protocols.
All attendees must inform the CSO if they are feeling unwell, can only return once medically certified to do so. Attendees must disclose to the CSO if they are being tested for COVID-19, and can only return once cleared by the health authorities, along with a medical certificate confirming their health.
The CSO must take the following actions:
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Record the incident details in the attendance register;
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Advise the Centre Committee;
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Advise LAVic;
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Report the incident to the health authorities.
If you have any questions or concerns, please speak to our CSOs and Committee Members for advice.
BBQ AND FACILITIES
MLAC is awaiting further advice from LAVic and Governing bodies with regards to the safe operation of our BBQ facility. We will provide an update and hope to be able to operate the BBQ as soon as is practically possible.
MLAC will devise a regular and thorough cleaning schedule to disinfect all common areas and high touch surfaces.
The toilets will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before and after each competition and training session. All attendees must wash and sanitize their hands before and after attending the facilities.
SPECTATORS
Currently, spectators are not required or considered essential to the conducting of sanctioned activities and cannot attend the session inside the Mornington Athletics field.
TRAINING
The above Covid-Safe protocols apply equally for any sanctioned MLAC training events. MLAC will run weekly limited training sessions for all our athletes every week and the expectation is for all athletes, parents, volunteers and officials to abide by these protocols and requirements.
MLAC COVID SAFE PLAN
Please refer to the MLAC Covid Safe Plan for detailed requirements and actions MLAC will follow to ensure Government and LAVIC Covid protocols are followed.