Port Rowing’s COVID-19 Safety Plan

23 January 2021

Required waiver for ALL (new and returning) athletes:

The health and safety of our athletes, coaches, staff and volunteers is paramount, and Port Rowing encourages everyone to take all reasonable measure 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 safety.

Athletes and Coaches must: 

• wash hands with soap and water for at least 30 seconds before attending practice 
• have temperature taken just before leaving for practice each day; if one’s temperature reads above 100.4 degrees, one is not permitted to attend practices (until the fever has been absent for 72 hours) 
• stay home if one has COVID-19 symptoms or have had recent contact with a person with COVID-19 (see below for elaboration and CDC recommendations) 
• ·notify the coach immediately if any of the above are realized 

Personal Protective Equipment and Supplies – arrive with own: 

• face mask (mandatory) – worn properly (i.e. mouth and nose fully covered) 
• hand sanitizer (alcohol-based) use before, throughout (when applicable) and after practice 
• reusable (and labeled) water bottle(s) each day. There will be no drinking water available at the boathouse. Water bottles will not be shared. 

Proper Hygiene: 

• always cover cough or sneeze (into a tissue and/or away from other persons into an elbow sleeve) 
• avoid touching face, mouth, nose and eyes. 

Vehicles: No parent, family member or friends are permitted to attend practice. 

• carpools which are not within the same household are strongly discouraged 
• 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. 
• wait in car until assigned practice time 
• parents, family, friends, etc. dropping off their athlete are not to exit their vehicle. communicate with coaches via email 
• if an athlete is dependent on receiving a car ride from a parent/guardian, one must 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. Again, drivers must be on time. 
• when parking vehicle, please make sure before exiting that there is a minimum of 10feet of space between you and any adjacent vehicles. 
• report to the Check-In Station, go through practice, and return directly and immediately to car upon dismissal 

Boathouse Protocol: 

Training will focus on a “get in, train, get out” approach, minimizing unnecessary contact
Once the athlete leaves his/her car, he/she is are required to wear a mask correctly until one is on the water and away from the docks. Athletes who do not wear their masks correctly will be asked to leave and try again the next day. We will be very strict with this policy.

 

Always maintain physical/social distancing of at least six (6) feet. 

Immediately Upon Leaving Your Vehicle: report to the Check-In Station 

Check-in process for every participant: 

• report directly to the picnic table (by the hoses) at designated check-in time. 
• temperature will be checked 
• hand sanitizer will be applied 
• verbally complete a wellness survey by answering the following questions: 
  • 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 
  • have you had "close contact" with an individual diagnosed with COVID-19?
  • “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?
  •  have you been asked to self-isolate or quarantine by a doctor or a local public health official?
  • Have you traveled out of state? If so, you must comply with the current NYS travel restrictions. https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/covid-19-travel-advisory
  •  do you understand you are required to wear your mask at all times while on land and cannot share equipment, and must remain socially distant?
  •  do you understand that violations of the rules may result in your being asked to leave for the day or remainder of the session? 
  • are your own Covid-19 test results pending?
• if you answer “yes” to any of the above questions regarding symptoms or contact, you will be asked to leave and not return for two weeks. Port Rowing will offer virtual workouts for quarantined participants. 

Maintaining clean and sanitized equipment: 

• each athlete will be responsible for assigned oar(s) which includes, but is not limited, to carrying them to the launch site, getting them in and out of the boat, and bringing them back to the boathouse for cleaning. 
• each athlete will wash one’s oars in the oar washing station as normal 
• wash the oar shafts & oar handles. Additionally, dunk the oars into bleach solution before placing on the rack. 
• follow normal boat washing protocol with the following additional steps: 
  • shells will be washed with soap and water thoroughly after each use 
  • higher contact areas (e.g. oarlocks, seats, riggers, shoes) will be sprayed with an alcohol-based solution, and washed with soap and water, the seat tops, oar locks, gunnels, and shoes with disinfectant 
• 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 
• must wear a face mask (or may double face masks) and a face shield while on-water
• ·note: rowers will not wear safety shields while exercising (rather masks) 

Post-practice Protocol: 
There will be no loitering at the boathouse: get in, train, and get out. 

• if an athlete wants to socialize, stretch, or do additional exercises, this must be conducted on his/her own and away from the boathouse and park in a socially distant manner. 
• all principal communications and announcements will be made via email and Teamsnap 
• do not shake hands or engage in unnecessary physical contact

Inclement Weather- In the event of bad weather (thunder /lightning): 

• 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 
• while seeking shelter, athletes must maintain social distancing and mask wearing. Boathouse bay doors will remain open. 

Lost and found:

For safety reasons, there will not be a lost and found at the boathouse 

• items found on the grounds may be thrown out - there will be no lost and found 
• if we permit use of cubbies, they will be assigned to individual athletes always maintain physical/social distancing of at least six (6) feet 
• if cubbies are not provided, do not bring or store personal items inside the boathouse 

In the Event of a Member Testing Positive for the virus:

• In the event someone in the Port Rowing community informs us they have tested positive for COVID-19: 
  • a community email will go out to all members
  • individual emails will go out to those in the same training group
    

Positive Tests for COVID-19: 

• Port Rowing will follow the Centers for Disease Control recommendations for when members can return. Although recommendations have been evolving, currently, these are: 
  • 10 days since symptoms first appeared and
  • 24 hours with no fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and
  • Other symptoms of COVID-19 are improving*
  •  Loss of taste and smell may persist for weeks or months after recovery and need not delay the end of isolation.   See https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/steps-when-sick.html
    

Exposure to a person who tests Positive for Covid-19

In the event that any athlete or staff member is exposed to a team member (note: hight-risk exposure generally involves exposure of eyes, nose or mouth, particularly if the individual was in contact of less than 6 feet)- in any setting, including, but not limited to school- who tests COVID-19 positive, the follow rules apply. 

·       If there is the possibility that an athlete has been exposed to a person infected with COVID-19 he/she must notify their primary care physician and coach immediately with details of the exposure. 

·       if the athlete was not wearing a face covering or not practicing safe social distancing (6' distance) when exposed, the athlete must quarantine for two weeks- and it is recommended anyone living in the athletes house do the same. 

·       if the athlete was wearing a face covering OR practicing social distancing  at the tie of exposure, and feels and shows no symptoms of the virus, such athlete may attend practice. 

·       each athlete and staff members must remain highly vigilant about their and others' well-being in order to avoid infection. 

rt Rowing will follow the Centers for Disease Control recommendations for when members can return.  Although recommendations have been evolving, currently, these are:

i.                    Three days without fever

ii.                  Symptoms have improved

iii.                At least ten days have passed since symptoms first appeared

iv.                Produce a negative covid-19 test (note: test to be administered no less than 5-7 days after exposure)

If any of the Safety Plan Rules are Broken: 

·       In order to keep everyone safe, we have to take these rules very seriously. Participants who are not compliant may lose their rowing privileges. 

Each Athlete Has a Responsibility to Help Ensure Safety 

·       Speak Up - If an athlete has safety concerns (e.g. people aren’t disinfecting their hands properly, wearing face masks or taking other precautions), he/he must speak up to help prevent the spread of infection. 

New York State Travel Bans:
For any traveler to New York State from out of state, exempting the contiguous states, the new guidelines for travelers to test-out of the mandatory 14-day quarantine are below:

·       For travelers who were in another state for more than 24 hours:

o   Travelers must obtain a test within three days of departure from that state

o   The traveler must, upon arrival in New York, quarantine for three days.

o   On day 4 of their quarantine, the traveler must obtain another COVID test. If both tests comes back negative, the traveler may exit quarantine early upon receipt of the second negative diagnostic test.
 

·  For travelers who were in another state for less than 24 hours:

• The traveler does not need a test prior to their departure from the other state, and does not need to quarantine upon arrival in New York State.
• However, the traveler must fill out our traveler form upon entry into New York State, and take a COVID diagnostic test 4 days after their arrival in New York.