Information as of 27/04/2020

Q. What does the introduction of Level 3 mean for sport in general? 

• Organised sports or physical activity is not allowed outside your bubble.
• You can travel within your region, and across a regional boundary if it is in your local area.
• Activities must remain within your current abilities and don’t pick up new activities.
• Group activities with anyone outside your bubble are not allowed.
• Lower-risk activities only: care must be taken not to be injured and require medical care.
• Contact activity or sharing equipment/balls with people outside your bubble is prohibited

Q.. Can pools open at Level. 3?
All public aquatic facilities will remain closed at Level.3.

Q. When will training start back?

Some pool facilities will be able to open at Level-2; however, they will need to comply with the relevant Government guidelines to protect staff and facility users. We encourage our clubs to begin a dialogue with their pool providers to discuss the recommendations in place to ensure the safety of those utilising the facility.

 Q. When will we competitions start back?

Swimming Waikato will continue to follow national and local government advice on gatherings as well as work with pool providers and our club coaches around the possible continuation of our 2020 regional competition calendar. At this stage, however, our main priority is our collective responsibility to eradicate Covid-19 in New Zealand, after which we can look at a gradual approach to re-introducing swimmers back into the water. As always, Swimming Waikato will be working alongside the Waikato Senior Coaching Group to discuss meet implementation and design.

Q. Will all pools in the Waikato open at the same time under Level. 2? 

This will be unlikely, due to the variety of pool operators and the local government they are located in. We would ask that you stay patient and work with the pool provider to support their planning around re-entry, we know that they will also be keen to get back.

Q. Do I need to fill out a Contact Tracing Log at pool facility? 

Sports facilities who are able to open at Alert Level 3 are currently required to maintain a guest register to assist the Ministry of Health’s efforts at contact tracing, this may be likely for Level.2.  We ask that you fully cooperate with all Ministry of Health’s efforts with contact tracing.   Clubs that use a private facility are strongly advised to complete their own log; a copy can be found following this LINK…

 Q. What measures will be taken by pool operators to ensure user safety? 

At all alert levels, clubs and facilities need to meet all public health guidelines. These include the following, although they may change over time: 

• Regular disinfecting of surfaces
• Encouraging good hand hygiene by allowing frequent hand washing and sanitising
• Not having unwell people at your facility
• Meeting physical distancing requirements

Q. How many people will be allowed into our pool facility under Level.2? 

A condition on gatherings is that indoor facilities cannot exceed 100 people, outdoor facilities cannot exceed 500 people. People feeling unwell must stay home
– sportnz.org.nz

Q. Can all club swimmers go back at the same time? 

This will be an individual club decision and will be based on communication with pool providers, available lane space and number of swimmers. We would encourage all clubs to introduce a gradual progression of squads utilising and adhering to all government and facility advice. We want swimmers back in the pool as much as everyone else, however, we do advise a gradual re-introduction.

For more information relating to Club Management & Swimmer Support, please visit the Swimming Waikato, Covid-19 Support Page

Useful Websites

Alert Level 3 Information: Covid-19.Gov

Government Wage Subsidy: Sport New Zealand

Alert Level Information: Sport New Zealand

Businesses Working Under Level – 3 Worksafe.Gov

Latest Health Advice: Ministry of Health

Regional Sporting Information: Sport Waikato

Please feel free to get in contact if further advice is required.

Regional Hub Director – [email protected]

To view Sport & Rec at Levels 1-4 CLICK HERE