Members of Boxing BC
It is with great pleasure that I am able to share with you that ViaSport’s Return to Sport Guidelines have received validation from the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture and the BC Centre for Disease Control
this past week. What does this mean for a return to training and competition for Boxing BC?
After today’s announcement from Lisa Beare (Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture) we are now able to move into Phase 3 of the Return to Sport Guidelines. Effective immediately, clubs, athletes and coaches are able to begin measured contact (sparring and focus mitt work) through the creation of designated cohorts. A Covid-19 cohort, or a bubble, is a small group in which athletes can train together, within two meters. The cohort concept encourages individuals who cannot maintain 2 metre physical distance when in group settings to interact with the same people within their own cohort group rather than switching daily contacts or randomly interacting with others outside that circle. When interacting with individuals not in your cohort, individuals should maintain a distance of two metres or wear a mask when closer than two metres with others. Each individual cohort can be made up of 10 members from a club who are prepared to train together on a regular basis and limit their contact and exposure outside of the cohort. Competition may only occur within designated cohorts. Establishing cohorts will limit the number of people that each individual will come into contact with, reducing the risk of transmission and ensuring quicker contact tracing by health authorities if an outbreak occurs. The Board of Directors of Boxing BC will be setting up a Zoom Townhall in the next week to address questions related to the cohort structure and how this will impact training and competition.
As part of the Phase 3 Return to Sport Guidelines it is important that all clubs, coaches and athletes still adhere to the following recommendations;
- All guidance related to personal hygiene, cleaning protocols and symptom-screening still apply.
- Cohorts should be used for activities in which it is not possible to maintain two metres physical
distancing at all times (Sparring and focus mitt work). When in a cohort, while individuals do not need to maintain physical distancing during sport specific activities, minimized physical contact is still advised. - At least two metres distancing should be maintained between all participants when off the field of play (e.g. on benches, during intermission, in locker rooms).
- Cohorts (maximum 10 people) should be made up of individuals/teams of similar age and skill level.
- When members of the cohort are gathering for games or activities, gatherings may not exceed 50 people (see PHO Order).
- Coaches may be counted outside the total cohort number if they are able to maintain physical distancing at all times.
- Keep athletes together in designated cohorts and make sure that cohorts avoid mixing with each other as much as possible.
- Cohorts should remain together for an extended period of time. If looking to change cohorts, a two-week break between activities is recommended.
- Where officials (if being used) are unable to physically distance, it is recommended to assign an official(s) to a specific cohort and avoid having them interact with multiple cohorts.
- Provincial Health Office (PHO) Orders related to group gatherings are still in effect, limiting group numbers to 50 people.
As we approach the beginning of the upcoming competitive season we recognize that there will be a lot of questions from the clubs related to training and competition. We hope that the upcoming Townhall
will provide an opportunity for coaches and athletes to have these questions and concerns addressed.
Please remember that all athletes and coaches must be registered for the upcoming season before they are able to spar or compete.
Thanks for your patience and understanding during these unprecedented times!
Ryan O’Shea
President Boxing BC
ViaSport – https://www.viasport.ca/
BC Ministry of Health – https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/health-feature/coronavirus-disease-covid-19
CSI Pacific – COVID-19 Update from SMAC www.csipacific.ca/news-events/covid-19/
Public Health Agency of Canada – https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/health-professionals/interim-guidance-cases-contacts.html#co-
World Health Organization – https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
Sport Medicine Advisory Committee – https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Update–15–Advisory-on-COVID-19.html?soid=1108867463200&aid=x8j3JoGZYOw
Boxing BC Update – March 13, 2020
