Coaldale Granite Club

COVID-19 Policy 2020

Introduction

This document has been prepared for the Coaldale Granite Club based on the guidance provided by Alberta Health Service, Curling Canada, Curling Alberta and Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation (SPAR) Branch available at the date of publication. It may be updated as new guidance becomes available. The health of our members, employees, volunteers and guests is of utmost importance to the Club. By following this policy, we ensure that we can protect health while enjoying the game of curling.

Summary

• Your curling experience will be different and unique this season, both on the ice and as you move throughout the Club
• These guidelines outline and detail these unique differences so that you can thoughtfully plan and visualize your curling experience this season
  
  • The rationale underlying these guidelines is to allow the Club to provide curling as a social activity that we can together enjoy safely and responsibly this winter season
  • If you enter and use the Club it will therefore be expected that you will have read, understood and follow these guidelines
• Prior to your first game sign and submit all required waivers and declarations of compliance
• Stay home if you are feeling sick, have been in contact with any confirmed cases of COVID-19, or answer "Yes" to any of the AHS COVID-19 daily questions
• Maintain respectful physical distancing of 6 feet at all times with non-cohort members
• Adhere to new game start times this season
• Please do not hesitate to reach out to the Club Manager, David Drysdale (coaldalegraniteclub@gmail.com), or a member of the board if you have any questions or concerns

Before Entering the Building

Registration & Waivers

This year we have updated the Waiver to include Covid-19 clauses. We have also added a Declaration of Compliance with respect ot Covid-19. Both of these documents must be completed online or signed in person prior to curling.

All Curlers must register and complete the waivers before they can curl. We prefer to have registration and waivers completed online. If a curler is unable to complete the registration and waivers online, they must complete a physical registration and waiver prior to curling.

COVID-19 Daily Questionnaire

All Curlers must verify that they have completed the AHS Covid-19 Daily Questionnaire and that the answer to all questions is “no” before proceeding past the sanitation station at the entry of the building. At the sanitation station there will be a list of the curlers scheduled to curl that day. By initialling the box beside their name, they are acknowledging that they have answered no all of the questions on the AHS Covid-19 daily questionnaire. This is also our way of recording who was in the building for a given draw.

If there are spares curling who are not on the list, they can be added to the list. The spare curler will have to have a signed waiver and declaration on file, or sign them before proceeding onto the ice.

COVID-19 Tracking

Our registration at the entry of the club will serve as our tracking document for who was in the building at a given date/time. If someone tests positive, they are not required to notify the club. AHS will work with the individual and determine what contact tracing is necessary. The Curling Club will cooperate with AHS with respect to any requests. These tracking documents will be kept for 2 years.

Mask Use

AHS recommends that Masks be worn unless you are actively curling or seated at a table in the lounge. There is not a legal requirement to wear a mask in the Club as this time. We ask that members respect the choices of other members regarding mask use.

Building Safety

Cleaning Protocol

High Touch Point Cleaning Procedures

Hourly Cleaned High touch points are:

• Bathrooms
• Sinks
• Stall Handles
• Flush Handles
• Front Door Handles
• Ice Area Door Handle
• ATM Machine
• POS System Screen
• Bar Counter
• TV Remote Controls

High Touch Points Cleaned before or after each use:

• Chair Handles
• Tables
• Debit Terminal

Curling Rocks will be sanitized between every draw.

High Touch Points that have been removed

Some high touch points have been removed or disabled to reduce the spread and reduce the cleaning requirements. These are:

• The Drinking Fountain by the bathrooms
• The Water Coolers in the Ice Area - Curlers are encouraged to bring water bottles and fill them at home.

Movement through the facility

Front Door to Lobby

The main West Doors are the only public entrance/exit. The South door to be used for entry only, North door for exit only.

Curlers should come dressed to curl except for their shoes. They will proceed directly to the changing area/table designated for their team. They will change their shoes and wait there for their turn to enter the ice area. Curlers should arrive no more than 15 minutes prior to their game time. If they so wish, curlers may sit in the lounge prior to their game time and arrive sooner than 15 minutes prior to their game time.

Curlers may leave their non-curling belongings at their changing area/table, or in their locker, or they may bring them with them into the ice area. If they bring them into the ice area, they should be in a bag or container to ensure that dirt is not tracked into the ice area.

The Draw will not be posted at the club. Please arrive knowing what time and on which sheet you will be curling.

Lobby to Lounge

The South door will be used for entry only, North door for exit only. These doors will be kept propped open.

Lobby to Lockers

Access to the lockers will be provided only for accessing the lockers, the locker area is not to be used for changing clothing or shoes. Lockers should only be used to store brooms, shoes and jackets.

Lobby to Ice and starting the game

There is only one door, so it will be used for both entry and exit. Games will start from opposite ends and start at the same time. Odd sheets will start from the home (North) end; even sheets will start from the away (South) end. This will reduce congestion as games start, and throughout the game as generally adjacent sheets will be curling in opposite directions.

Leaving the Ice Area

Once the game is over, the teams will exit the ice area maintaining physical distancing with the teams still playing. They will proceed to their designated changing area to change their shoes, before proceeding to the lounge, lockers, or exit.

Equipment

Loaner Equipment

Limited sliders and brooms will be available for use. They will be sanitized after each use. Junior curlers will have designated equipment and it will be sanitized after each use. Members can discuss with the Manager using the same loaner equipment for the season, so that it doesn’t need to be sanitized after each use. Members should store this equipment in their personal locker.

Rocks

Curlers are encouraged to bring their own sanitizing wipes to clean the rock handles prior to use. Curling Club staff or volunteers will sanitize the rock handles prior to each game.

Curlers are asked not to clean the bottom of the rocks with their bare hand. Please use your broom or a glove

Measuring Devices

The following procedure should be completed for measuring:

• Remove your gloves
• Sanitize your hands
• 1 person Conducts the measure (all others stand physically distanced)
• Return the device to its storage hook
• Sanitize the device
• Sanitize your hands Sanitizing wipes or spray will be provided near the measuring devices.

Ice Making

If ice maintenance equipment is going to be used by someone other than the head ice maker, it will be sanitized before and after use.

Playing the Game

Games will be played based on the Curling Canada Guidelines for Physically Distant Curling. These modifications allow us to curl with limited restrictions. Here is a summary of how the game will proceed:

• When it is time to enter the ice area, teams will proceed directly to their sheet. The Team A will move to the middle of the sheet or the far end of the sheet for warmups and stretching. Team B will use the home end of the sheet for warmups and stretching.
• The thirds will meet near the home end of the sheet to determine the hammer by a means that maintains physical distancing (do not use a coin).
• Each curler will select their 2 (or 3) rocks for the game, and will not exchange them with other players. Curlers will only touch their own rocks.
• There will be designated standing areas along the sides of the sheets. These are to be used by the non-delivering team (excluding the acting skip) and the non-active sweeper of the delivering team. An on-ice diagram is at the end of this document.
• Non-Delivering Team: The two sweepers of the non-delivering team should be positioned on 2 of the sideline marks while the other team is throwing. The player of the non-delivering team whose turn it is next to deliver should be positioned at or near the hogline on the same side as the two sweepers. The Skip (or Vice-Skip) will stand on the backboards but no closer than the hack.
• Delivering Team: The Skip has control of the house. The player whose turn it is to deliver is in the hack. The non-sweeping player is on the backboards. The sweeping player is at the T-Line.
• Once the stone has been released, the player who delivered the stone proceeds down the centre line of the ice to one of the more central ice markings or to the hog line if it is their turn next. After the stone comes to rest, the sweeper proceeds to the sideline markings. The non-sweeper travels to a sideline mark or the hog line depending on their turn to deliver or not.
• Only one sweeper on the delivering team can sweep on a given shot. There will be no relaying of sweepers including with the skip/vice-skip. The designated sweeper is the only player that can sweep on a given play. This includes behind the t-line and “raised” or “tapped” rocks. The skip/vice-skip in the house must move to accommodate the incoming sweeper.
• The non-delivering team may not sweep any rocks, including their own.
• The teammate of the delivering team that is not sweeping must take a place on the side or the back of the sheet in a designated area. This non-active sweeper will have first choice of designated standing area and may communicate with the players of their team and may follow the play but must remain at least two meters apart from their teammates and their opponents.
• The skip/vice-skip of the non-delivering team must remain behind the backline or on the walkway when possible and must make room to accommodate an in-coming sweeper, or the opposing skip/vice-skip and maintain at least two meters of distance.
• Only one member of the non-delivering team should be behind the backline.
• When the vice-skip and skip are exchanging control of the house, or discussing a call, they must remain at least two (2) meters apart from each other, always.
• After a player delivers his or her rock, that player should either:
  1. follow the rock, while maintaining at least two (2) meters from the designated sweeper, but go no further than the second hog-line or
  2. move to the nearest unoccupied standing location.

This will allow the players from the other team to move into position for the next shot.

• Benches will be limited to 1 person at a time. Please do not use benches unless you have to.
• Players should only use their hands to touch the rocks they will deliver. Players may move rocks that they are not using but must do so using their broom or their foot on the side of the rock and avoid any contact with the handle.
• Players should not clean the bottom of the rock with their bare or gloved hand but instead use their broom to clean.
• Scorekeeping:
  • One Player posts the score on the ScoreBoard for both teams. They will sanitize after handling the scoreboard numbers, OR
  • One Player will write the score on the glass for both teams using a non-permanent marker. They will sanitize the marker before and after the game, OR
  • One Player will write the score on a paper, using a pen they bring.

After the Game:

• Push the rocks with the brush of your broom or your foot to the corners of the end at which play was completed even if it is not the end at which the game began.
• Players are to gather their belongings while distancing themselves from other players.
• If it is necessary to cross behind other sheets that are still active, it may be necessary to request a player on that sheet to move, to allow for the players to exit the rink. Conversely, players should be aware that games may finish prior to theirs and they may have to move to accommodate (a team to pass) them leaving.
• The score keeper will verify the score with the other team’s third. They will then verbally confirm the win/loss to the club manager or email the win/loss to the club manager.

Spectators & Guests

Spectators and Guests are allowed in the Club. Spectators and Guests are required to maintain physical distancing from all curlers not in their Family Cohort, unless they are seated at a table. We ask that they make way for the curlers as they move through the club.

AHS recommends that spectators wear masks. Cheering and yelling is strongly discouraged as it presents a high risk of spreading droplets.

Spectators are not permitted to enter the ice area.

Ice Rentals & Practice Ice

There will be limited availability for ice rentals, based on the size of the group and the availability of staff/volunteers. Contact the Manager for more information

Practice Ice availability will be limited. Contact the Manager to schedule.

Bonspiels

Bonspiels can be played, and our members can play in bonspiels at other clubs, provided that they remain physically distant with all other players. If a league team has formed a team cohort and that same team plays in a bonspiel, they do not have to remain physically distant from each other.

Junior Curling Program

• All programs will follow the following guidelines set out by AHS.
• All coaches/instructors are required to wear masks if within two metres.
• Individuals who may have difficulties maintaining physical distance of two metres at all times, such as youth, should be encouraged to wear a mask. To be clear, wearing a mask still means that distance should be maintained when possible.
• Maximum of four students/players per sheet plus one coach.
• Only one parent per child will be allowed to spectate.
• All equipment borrowed by participants to be sanitized after each use. Users should also be encouraged to clean the equipment again themselves before use.
• Parents/guardians are encouraged to drop athletes off at the beginning of the program (no more than 15 minutes prior to start time).

Lounge/Food Services

Lounge and Food Services will follow the guidance from AHS for Restaurants and Bars. Some of the key elements are listed here:

• Maximum of 6 people at a table, regardless of age
• Plexiglas at the bar between the bartenders and patrons
• Patrons must stand 2 metres apart while waiting for service at the bar
• Use Packs of Ketchup, Salt & Pepper, Dips, etc. to avoid cross contract
• Order from menu board as much as possible, paper menus if used are recycled after one use

Here is a link the the AHS Guidance for Restaurants, Cafes, Pubs & Bars: link

Closing

If you have any questions regarding this policy, please contact the Club Manager, or a Board Member. David Drysdale, Club Manager 403-345-4742 coaldalegraniteclub@gmail.com

Paul Neufeldt, Club President 403-405-2406 coaldalegraniteclubbod@gmail.com