Port Rowing’s COVID-19 Safety Plan

08 November 2021

Port Rowing’s COVID-19 Safety Plan

November 8, 2021

The health and safety of our athletes, coaches, staff and volunteers is most important, and Port Rowing encourages everyone to take all reasonable measures to mitigate the risk of Coronavirus in their daily lives as each one of us plays a role in keeping ourselves and the community safe.  For our own members, the following safety plan has been implemented and everyone involved with Port Rowing will be held to the highest standard of compliance.  Failure to comply may result in immediate loss of rowing privileges and participation (without any refund).  Remember that these rules have been implemented and will be strictly enforced for everyone’s safety.

For this 2021-2022 Winter Training Season, which on most days takes place indoors, we will be requiring Proof of Vaccination to train with the team.

If an athlete does not have Proof of Vaccination, they can still sign up for winter training and the coaches will be able keep them on pace with the team training schedule 

and will work with them separately or virtually to help them be prepared for the spring racing season.

We will continue to monitor our COVID protocol and may need to change it, even in the middle of a season, if we learn new information as we head into 2022.

 

Athletes and Coaches must:

1. wash hands with soap and water for at least 30 seconds before attending practice;

1. stay home if one has COVID-19 symptoms, is awaiting testing results or has tested positive (see details below);

1. masks are optional for outdoor practice regardless of vaccination status;

1. always cover coughs and sneezes (into a tissue and/or away from other persons, into an elbow sleeve);

1. avoid touching face, mouth, nose and eyes; and

1. when feasible, all athletes are to maintain physical/social distancing of at least six feet.

  

Vehicles:

∙      As always, do not drop off/pick up near the entrance way to the parking lot. Pull into a

designated parking spot, turn off vehicle, and then drop off/pick up.

∙      Parents, family, friends, etc. dropping off their athlete are not to exit their vehicle. Ensure pick-up and drop off are coordinated in advance and in a timely manner. There is no loitering at the boathouse area or in the parking lot. As always, drivers must be on time.

Boathouse Protocol

Training will focus on a “get in, train, get out” approach, minimizing unnecessary contact. 

Athletes will not be required to have their temperature taken upon arrival, however, if an athlete can answer ‘yes’ to any of the following wellness survey questions they may not attend practice:

i.      Have you had any symptoms of COVID-19 in the last 14 days, including: fever, shortness of breath (not severe), cough, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell?

ii.     Have you had “close contact” with an individual diagnosed with COVID-19 (within 6 feet of someone for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period)?

Note: “Close contact” means living in the same household as a person who has tested positive for COVID-19, cared for a person who has tested positive for COVID-19, been within 6-feet of a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 for 15+ minutes, or come in direct contact with secretions (e.g., sharing utensils, being coughed on) from a person who has tested positive for COVID-19, while that person was symptomatic.

iii.   Have you been asked to self-isolate or quarantine by a doctor or a local public health official?

iv.   Are your own Covid test results pending?

Ιf an athlete can answer “yes” to any of the above questions regarding symptoms, contact or pending test results he/she is not allowed at Port Rowing practices until he/she either (a) submits a negative COVID-19 PCR test result (which was administered 3-5 days after exposure or symptoms) (if vaccinated) or quarantine for 10 days (if unvaccinated).

Maintaining clean and sanitized equipment

i. Shells - will be washed with soap and water thoroughly after each use

ii.   Portable Toilets – must be disinfected after each use.

Coxswains’ Rules

∙      All coxswains will be assigned his/her own headset.

∙      Clean all equipment with alcohol-based disinfectant before and after each use.

Inclement Weather

In the event of bad weather (thunder / lightening) practices will be suspended (we must wait 30 minutes from the last thunder/lightning before resuming). Once we are able to resume, we will resume with the scheduled practice at that time.  Training groups seeking shelter will head to the boathouse bays or car where they will maintain social distancing as much as possible with boathouse bay doors remaining open.

What to do if an athlete is feeling unwell, is designated a close contact, or is awaiting test results

1. If an athlete has ANY symptoms of COVID-19 including: fever, shortness of breath (not severe), cough, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell (vaccinated or not) 

If vaccinated – take a Covid PCR test.  If negative, an athlete may return to practice after attaining and providing negative test results.

If unvaccinated – Athletes must not attend practice and quarantine for 10 days.

ii.     If an athlete has had “close contact” with an individual diagnosed with COVID-19 (within           6 feet of someone for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period)

Note: “Close contact” means living in the same household as a person who has tested positive for COVID-19, cared for a person who has tested positive for COVID-19, been within 6-feet of a person who has tested positive for COVID-19, or come in direct contact with secretions (e.g., sharing utensils, being coughed on) from a person who has tested positive for COVID-19, while that person was symptomatic.

If vaccinated – take a Covid PCR test after 3-5 days of exposure.  If negative, an athlete may return to practice after attaining a negative test result.

If unvaccinated – Athletes must not attend practice and quarantine for 10 days.

iii.   If an athlete is asked to self-isolate or quarantine by a doctor or a local public health official

All athletes, regardless of vaccination status, must not attend practice and quarantine for 10 days.

Regattas and Transportation for Regattas

Most regattas, at this time, do not allow spectators, and each have their own rules regarding mask wearing.  We will communicate and follow all applicable rules as they are communicated and posted.

 

All athletes, vaccinated or not, need to wear a mask on buses.

 

All athletes who travel to regattas must either (1) provide a valid vaccination card or (2) provide a negative PCR test result within 72 hours of the scheduled departure for that regatta.  No athlete will be permitted to board a bus or participate in a regatta without meeting one of the above two requirements.

 

If an athlete is feeling unwell, is notified as a close contact or is otherwise awaiting the results of a negative PCR test, vaccinated or not, the athlete is not permitted to attend the regatta until a negative Covid PCR result is provided (and, in the case of non-vaccinated athletes, has surpassed the necessary 10-day isolation period).

 

Winter/Indoor Training

 

The Winter/Indoor Training Program will be held outside as much as possible, weather permitting.  When indoors, the location will be well ventilated.  For the 2021-2022 Winter Training Program, athletes who provide Proof of Vaccination can train together indoors without masks.  Unvaccinated athletes will not train with the team indoors, but will be able to work with the coaches separately to stay on the team training schedule.

 

Travel outside of the United States- (note: CDC travel requirements will change as of Nov 8, 2021)

 

Consistent with CDC guidelines if vaccinated athletes travel internationally via flight, she/he is required to present a negative COVID-19 test result (no more than 3 days prior to flight) before boarding a flight to the United States:

 

If unvaccinated athletes travel internationally via flight, she/he is required to present a negative COVID-19 test result (no more than 1 day prior to flight) before boarding a flight to the United States:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/testing-international-air-travelers.html#:~:text=Air%20passengers%20traveling%20to%20the,all%20passengers%20before%20boarding.

Notice 

In the event someone in the Port Rowing community informs us they have tested positive for COVID-19, a member email will be sent, and individual emails will be sent to those in the same training group and who shared equipment.

In sum, every athlete and staff member must remain highly vigilant about their and others’ well-being in order to avoid infection. Participants who are not compliant may lose their rowing privileges and refunds will not be provided.  If an athlete has safety concerns, she/he is strongly encouraged to speak up to help prevent the spread of infection.

References

https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home

https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/quarantines

 

Nassau County: https://www.nassaucountyny.gov/4963/COVID-19-INFORMATION

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/quarantine-isolation.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fif-you-are-sick%2Fquarantine.html

https://www.aarp.org/health/healthy-living/info-2020/states-mask-mandates-coronavirus.html#NewYork

https://usrowing.org/documents/2021/6/17//USRowing_Reopen_Boathouse_Document_v11_0.pdf?id=2685