Covid-19 Mitigation Plan for Practices
COVID-19 MITIGATION PLAN: 2022 Season
At this time, Plumas County Public Health is not requiring any modifications to our swim operations due to Covid-19.
If that should change, we will resort to the following Covid-19 mitigation practices.
TEAM PRACTICE
AQUATIC PARTICIPANT GUIDELINES FOR COVID-19 RISK REDUCTION
Before Leaving Home
- Take your temperature and complete COVID-19 daily health check. If you have experienced any of the following symptoms in the last 24 hours, stay home: fever (at above 100.4°F) or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, recent loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea.
- Shower and dress for swim practice before leaving home (changing on pool premises will not be allowed).
- Have a face covering/mask.
- Participants are encouraged to have transportation to and from pool facility with household members only.
Entering and Exiting the Pool Facility
- Arrive 5-10 minutes prior to practice start time to maximize social distancing when entering the pool facility. All persons must wear a face covering upon arrival (starting in the parking lot) and continue to wear it up until getting into the pool. Swimmers are the only participants allowed to remove their masks and they may only be removed to swim. Masks must also be worn once out of the pool and until back at vehicle, in parking lot. Coaches are to wear masks the duration of the time they are on pool premises and walking to and from their vehicles.
- Instructions for entering and exiting pool facility will be posted at facility entrance/exit.
- Only Coaches, Team Officers and swimmers will be allowed on premises. NO OTHER PERSONS WILL BE ALLOWED ON PREMISES DURING PRACTICES. Should a parent need to talk to a Coach, they can call, text, or email the Coach or they can communicate with the Coach through the pool premises fence, while wearing a mask.
- Observers must remain outside of pool facility.
- All participants will be required to enter/exit through outside gate -at SIDE FENCE (behind the Hitting Cage, located behind the Parks & Rec office) to maximize social distancing & keep all participants outdoors when entering the pool facility.
- Post signage denying entrance to anyone answering “yes” to health screening questions relating to Covid-19.
- Coaches will open pool gate as to eliminate any unnecessary contact of surfaces by swimmers.
- There will be no changing of clothing at the pool facility and no use of locker rooms. Swimmers are to arrive in swimsuits, prepared to enter the water. Swimmers are also expected to be prepared to leave premises without changing.
- No participation in extracurricular activity or social activity while at pool facility.
- Swimmers should carry minimal personal items as each swimmer will have a small, designated space where they may leave their personal items such as a water bottle, towel, sandals, and bag for cap and goggles.
- Swimmers should arrive with any items necessary for practice (such as cap, goggles, and towel). Sharing of any personal items will not be allowed.
- Cones will be placed around the pool deck at 6-foot intervals. Upon entering the facility, swimmers may place personal belongings at an available cone and wait by that cone until a Coach clears them to get into their assigned lane.
- Hand sanitizer and wipes will be provided at various locations. All participants will be expected to use hand sanitizer upon entering the pool premises.
POOL OFFICE/LOBBY/LOCKER ROOMS/RESTROOMS/POOL DECK
- Normal pool entrance, pool lobby and office will be closed to reduce any presence of swimmers in indoor spaces during practices.
- Locker rooms are not to be used for changing or hanging out in at any point during practices.
- Coaches will prop open outer restroom doors to minimize surface contact of swimmers to outer doors.
- Restrooms will be cleaned with CDC recommended products prior to starting practices.
- Restrooms may be used by one swimmer at a time. Swimmers may enter the restroom after checking with their Coach to verify the restroom is not currently in use. Swimmers will be expected to use hand sanitizer prior to returning to the water.
- Areas of high touch frequency will be sanitized at the end of each practice, daily.
- Any dry land training will be done outside, around the pool, with participants wearing masks and all spaced 6-ft apart, at their designated cones.
- Staff/participants who begin to cough or sneeze must move away from any participants until the coughing/sneezing has stopped.
- No food or eating will be allowed on premises.
- There will be NO sharing of any personal items such as goggles, swim caps, towels, or drinks.
- Drinking fountains will be closed with signage.
Pool
- Participants will be required to use hand sanitizer to clean their hands prior to entering the water.
- All unnecessary pool toys/equipment will be removed from practice area during each session.
- Participants will be encouraged to purchase their own kick boards and pull buoys and bring them to and from practice. The only shared item will be fins, which will be disinfected after each swimmer’s use. Sharing of personal equipment will not be allowed.
- Practice group sizes will be reduced to allow for 6-foot physical distancing (“length of a pool noddle”). See included pool/lane diagrams.
- Swimmers will be placed in cohort groups and will swim with the same swimmers at each practice as to reduce exposure potential.
- Coaches will establish proper stop/start points for swimmers in the pool, to allow or social distancing. See included pool/lane diagrams.
- Physical contact between participants will not be allowed (in the case of an emergency, the Coaches will intervene).
- Always maintain proper pool chemistry.
Additional Information
- Mixing with other households prior to and post practices must adhere to current gathering guidance.
- The Swim Team Board will have a Covid-19 Liaison who is responsible for staying on top of and informing the Board & Coaches of any community and State recommendations and/or any related changes.
- All Board officers and Coaches will be trained on Covid-19 mitigation protocols prior to beginning of season.
- All Coaches and support staff are encouraged to be vaccinated once eligible.
- Parents of all registered swimmers will be required to attend a pre-season ZOOM meeting where all COVID-19 mitigation protocols will be reviewed.
- Each participant will receive an emailed copy of the team’s Covid-19 mitigation plan.
- Each participant must sign an informed consent form regarding the risks associated with participating in Swim Team during the Covid-19 pandemic.
- Coaches will work with the same partner coach as to reduce exposure potential.
- Coaches are expected to maintain physical distancing and mask protocols when working together.
- Coaches will ensure all cleaning supplies are stored in the locked pool team shed.
- Coaches will be required to take attendance at each practice – to have a daily record of every team member present in facility in the event of Covid-19 exposure.
- Coaches will ensure physical distancing and adequate equipment for all staff trainings.
- No one with symptoms of Covid-19, or who is in isolation or quarantine for Covid-19 is permitted to attend practices.
- Anyone with symptoms of Covid-19 should consult their physician for testing & notify their coach of their symptoms & test results.
- In the event of a positive Covid-19 test relating to anyone participating on Swim Team, the USA Swimming Aquatics Coalition Covid-19 Positive Test Protocol will be followed.
- The American Academy of Pediatrics Interim Guidance on Return to Sports will be referred to for any swimmer recovering from Covid-19, in terms of returning to practice.
The following Covid-19 resources were accessed for the development of this plan:*links are included below
USA Swimming Facility Reopening Messaging and Planning Guide
California Dept of Public Health: Outdoor and Indoor Youth and Recreational Adult Sports Update
https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/outdoor-indoor-recreational-sports.aspx
USA Swimming Aquatics Coalition Recommended Covid-19 Positive Test Protocol
USA Swimming Aquatics Coalition Safety Plan- Covid Considerations
American Academy of Pediatrics Interim Guidance on Return to Sports
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