Current Orders / Restrictions Extended

February 5, 2021 12:00pm

Provincial Health Officer Orders that were put in place (Dec 29) for all individuals, places of work and businesses across the Province (Provincial Health Officer Orders and Notices).

This PHO Order has been extended to until further notice (as of Feb 5).

While these new restrictions challenge us all, it important that we all do our part to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Below we have worked to identify how these new restrictions impact BC Athletics and its members.

On This Page:

A) Masks and athletics clarification

B) Sport specific restrictions in the Health Order

  1. Adult Group Sport
  2. Sport for Children or Youth
  3. High Performance Sport
  4. Varsity Sport
  5. Travel Restrictions

c) Elite athlete travel restrictions

A) Mask use in Athletics

As part of the Province-wide restrictions currently in effect until midnight February 5th, there is a mask requirements for public indoor settings.

a.       As outlined in the mask mandate order, masks are required for everyone in many public indoor settings. A face shield is not a substitute for a mask as it has an opening below the mouth.

b.       Masks are required in many indoor public settings. This includes:

·         Community Centres

·         Recreation Centres

·         Sport or fitness facilities when not working out

c.   Coaches and Non-Athletes:

  • Must wear a mask at all times during practice and approved In-Club Youth Performance Trials. No exceptions.
  • All non-athletes - Coaches, Officials, Youth Performance Trial Organizers must remain outside the field of play during an In-Club Youth Performance Trial.
  • Coaches must wear a mask at all times, including doing any warm-up activities with athletes. This includes: running, stretching, bounding, high knee drills and anything that is part of a warm-up activity.
  • Coaches must wear a mask at all times – which includes on the field of play during a practice session.
  • Physical distancing of 3 metres must be maintained at all times.

d.   There are exemptions for:

·         People with health conditions or with physical, cognitive, or mental impairments who cannot wear one

·         People who cannot remove a mask on their own

·         Children under the age of 12

For more information please refer to the Province-wide restrictions and the mask mandate order contained within.

 

B) Sport specifc restrictions in the order, for more information please refer to the Province-wide restrictions

  1. Adult Group Sport (i.e. sport for those 22 years of age or older)
  • Means a sporting activity involving more than one person and includes training and practice for an individual or a team sport, but does not include sport for children or youth, varsity sport or high-performance athlete sport.
  • A person may participate in group sport, if the following conditions are met:
    1. if the group sport is indoors, only two persons participate;
      • 2 athletes OR 1 athlete and 1 coach.
      • Only adult exemption is for CSI-P or Collegiate programs.
    2. if the group sport is outdoors, only four persons participate;
      • 4 athletes OR 3 athletes and 1 coach OR any combination not exceeding 4 people.
      • Only adult exemption is for CSI-P or Collegiate programs.
    3. the participants maintain a distance of three metres from one another while engaged in the group sport, unless the participants reside in the same private residence;
    4. there are no spectators, unless the presence of a spectator is necessary in order to provide care to a participant.
    5. An athlete or coach, must only be in one age group (U22 OR 22+) and must not be moving between age groups.
  • No person may travel for group sport, including for training and/or practice.
  • Adults may train individually or under the supervision of a personal coach.
    • An individual athlete may meet their personal coach for a training session if the following conditions are met:
      1. For the safety of both athletes & coaches, coaches are required to ensure that an open and observable environment is used for all interactions between adults and participants. (i.e. Community Track & Field Facility)
      2. A coach may not hold a training session for a group of individual athletes training on their own.
  • Physical Distancing
    • Athletes & coaches are asked to maintain a physical distance of three metres from one another and do not engage in handshaking, high fives, or similar behaviour.

 

  1. Sport for Children or Youth (i.e. sport for those under 22 years of age)
  • A person may participate in sport for children or youth, if the following conditions are met:
  1. participants maintain a physical distance of three metres (3m) from one another and do not engage in handshaking, high fives, hugging or similar behaviour;
  2. the focus is on activities that have a low risk of COVID-19 virus transmission;
  3. no person is present as a spectator, unless the presence of the person is necessary in order to provide care to a child or youth who is a participant.
  4. A U22 athlete (Youth) can decide to train in a 22 plus age group (Adult) but the Adult Group size can be no larger than a total of 4 individuals, as above (i.e. 4 athletes training together or 1 coach and 3 athletes or any combination not exceeding 4 individuals).and cannot move back and forth between age groups.
  5. The individual in the Youth (U22) and Adult Groups (22 plus) must be continue to be the same individuals. Moving individuals into and out of the Youth or Adult Groups is not allowed.
  • Current guidelines limit group gatherings to a maximum of 50 (including coaches) and continued use of physical distancing and hygiene measures.
  • Social Gatherings
    1. No in-person social gatherings of any size (indoor and/or outdoors).
  • Training Environment Safety - Daily Screening
    1. A daily screening should already be included in every club and training groups existing COVID-19 safety plan. Conduct routine daily symptom screenings for all coaches, volunteers, and participants. Wellness questionnaires and use of self-assessment tools are recommended.
  • Attendance Tracking
    1. Organizers must collect the first and last names and telephone number, or email address, of everyone who attends a training session or competition.
    2. Retain this information for thirty days in case there is a need for contact tracing on the part of the medical health officer, in which case the information must be provided to the medical health officer.
    3. Destroy the information after thirty days
    4. Avoid having athletes change training groups from day to day or week to week
  • 2nd Claim Club Memberships
    1. Athletes who hold a 2nd Claim Club Membership, are asked to select a single club for this period and train exclusively with that club.
  • Mask requirements in public indoor settings
    1. As outlined in the mask mandate order, masks are required for everyone in many public indoor settings. A face shield is not a substitute for a mask as it has an opening below the mouth.
    2. Masks are required in many indoor public settings. This includes:
      • Community Centres
      • Recreation Centres
      • Sport or fitness facilities when not working out
    3. There are exemptions for:
      • People with health conditions or with physical, cognitive, or mental impairments who cannot wear one
      • People who cannot remove a mask on their own
      • Children under the age of 12
  • Spectators
    1. No spectators are allowed at any youth sport activities under the order. The only people allowed to attend sport activities are those that provide care to a participant or player. For example, coaches or person designated to provide first aid.
  • Competitions
    1. During the period covered by this order the only competitions that may be held are “In-Club”.
    2. “In-Club” is defined as, only those athletes who regularly train as part of a BC Athletics member club or training group.
    3. There shall be no “special” exceptions made.

 

  1. High Performance Sport
  • High performance athletes, professional athletes and professional performers are not included in the order. To qualify as a high performance athlete, you must be:
  1. Identified by the Canadian Sports Institute Pacific as a high-performance athlete affiliated with an accredited provincial or national sports organization.
  2. Continuing to follow the safety guidelines of your provincial sports organization.
  • Current guidelines limit group gatherings to a maximum of 50 and continued use of physical distancing (3m) and hygiene measures.

NEW AS OF JANUARY 18

C) ELITE ATHLETE TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS

On January 7th, Bonnie Henry extended current health restrictions to February 5th.  Clarification on the public health order can be found in a Jan 13th letter from viaSport, the organization who works with government to communicate public health orders in the province of B.C. 

Based on this clarification, CSI Pacific is asking National Sport Organizations NOT TO TRAVEL into British Columbia during this restriction period for sport training.

Those National Sport Organizations with established training groups in B.C. with CSI Pacific identified athletes who have athletes and staff already training in British Columbia can continue to follow the provincial health order exemption.  Accredited B.C Provincial Sport Organizations with CSI Pacific identified athletes have exemptions to continue sport in the province, but should be aware of guidelines below.

Athletes and staff who may be returning to their training group from outside of B.C must continue to follow OTP SMAC guidelines which state that:

  1. Inter-provincial travel:
    Sport team members (athletes and staff), on return to a BC training environment from inter-provincial travel, require a 14-day self-isolation period prior to return to facilities and training groups. This can be shorted to a 5-7 day self-isolation period upon return, with a negative COVID-19 test performed on the fifth day (or later) after their return.

    Sport team members     traveling within BC only (i.e. not leaving the province) do not need to self-isolate after their travel.
  2. International travel:
    Sport team members (athletes and staff), on return to a BC training environment from international travel must adhere to the current federal government mandated 14-day quarantine period. This cannot be shortened for any reason, unless an exemption is granted directly to the sport organization by the Government of Canada.

No athlete or staff will be able to use CSI Pacific facilities unless the above guidelines are adhered to. 

Questions related to CSI Pacific Athlete Nomination and or travel restrictions can be sent to nominations@csipacific.ca

CSI Pacific is able to facilitate asymptomatic testing to assist in returning to training. Please view our COVID webpage at http://www.csipacific.ca/covid-19 for more information.

  1. Varsity Sport
  • A person may participate in varsity sport, if the following conditions are met:
  1. The participants are members of a varsity sport team;
  2. Individuals of any age may participate in varsity sport if they are a member of a varsity sport team and they only train or practice with the post-secondary institution with which they are enrolled.
  3. participants maintain a physical distance of three metres from one another when engaged in sport and do not engage in handshaking, high fives, hugging or similar behaviour;
  4. the focus is on activities that have a low risk of COVID-19 virus transmission;
  5. no person is present as a spectator, unless the presence of the person is necessary in order to provide care to a participant;
  6. a participant only trains or practices with
    1. the post-secondary institution with which the participant is enrolled, or
    2. with respect to which the participant is a confirmed recruit, as permitted by and in accordance with the requirements of the body which governs the varsity sport.
  • Current guidelines limit group gatherings to a maximum of 50 and continued use of physical distancing (3m) and hygiene measures.

 

  1. Travel Restrictions
    • No person may travel for children and youth sport or group sport, including for training and/or practice.
    • Travel restrictions do not apply to travel by a person to the person’s home club sports facility at which the person regularly trains or practices.
    • Individuals should not carpool with other participants.

This PHO Order has been extended UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE (as of Feb 5, 2021), at which time government officials will determine if extensions or changes are required based on COVID-19 transmission data. For now, we ask that you share this information through your membership as soon as possible, however, recognize the challenge this may pose during the holiday season.

More information on BC Athletics "Return to Sport" policies and guidelines can be found online here.