As of November 3rd, 2020, the Ontario Government has announced five (5) new colour-coded stages to tighten public health measures. Updates on gathering limits, where your region stands and more can be found in the COVID-19 Response Framework: Keeping Ontario Safe and Open document.
The City of Toronto will remain in the red zone for 28 days starting on November 14th until December 12th. This includes restrictions:
As of November 3rd, the Ontario Government has announced that Ottawa and Peel are in the Restrict (intermediate measures) – Orange zones, while York and Toronto public health unit regions are now in Control (stringent measures) – Red zones. Indicators will generally be assessed based on the previous two weeks of information. However, the movement to apply measures will be considered sooner than two weeks if there is a rapidly worsening trend.
Be sure to follow the advice from your Public Health Unit regarding additional measures during these times. If you do not reside in these regions, continue to follow your local protocols already in place.
For more information about current public health measures and Government of Ontario restrictions, including additional measures for targeted regions, click HERE.
Access your sport’s return to play guidelines and protocols
Ensure your club or organization has all participants sign a COVID-19 waiver confirming they understand the risks of returning to sport in a pandemic environment, have not been exposed to COVID-19 (or if so, 14 days have passed), are not experiencing any COVID-19 related symptoms, and their agreement to follow the provincial sport organization’s plan.
For more information on risk management and details on waivers in the sport environment click HERE.
Resources & Links
Participant Agreement SAMPLE (ViaSport BC)
Daily Health Questionnaire SAMPLE (Ontario Volleyball)
Session Participation & Health Screening Tracking SAMPLE (Ontario Volleyball)
Updating Your Waivers & Forms (Sport Law & Strategy Group)
According to the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act:
In-person teaching and instruction:
5. (1) Subject to subsection (2), the person responsible for a business or place that is open and that provides in-person teaching or instruction shall ensure that every instructional space complies with the following conditions:
1. The instructional space must be operated to enable students to maintain a physical distance of at least two metres from every other person in the instructional space, except where necessary for teaching and instruction that cannot be effectively provided if physical distancing is maintained (spotting, etc.).
If you need to enter within that 2-mentre distance to assist your athlete, ensure that you have a mask and (if possible) gloves to maximize safety for all involved
Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act: Rules for areas in Stage 3
Each Provincial/National Sport Organization throughout Canada has different return-to-play guidelines designed solely for their individual sports(s). Visit the sector-specific return to play guidelines to see what provisions affect your sport.
Don’t see your sport listed? Contact your PSO for more information.
Not sure how to reach your PSO? Visit our Contact Your Sport page.
Sector-specific safe return to play guidelines and protocols (Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries)
Any equipment that is rented to, provided to or provided for the use of users of the facility must be cleaned and disinfected between each use or, where used in a game or practice, at the end of play, such as at the completion of a game or practice.
Activities must not be practised or played within the facility if they require the use of fixed structures that cannot be cleaned and disinfected between each use or, where used in a game or practice, at the end of play.
Now that Stage 3 allows the public to resume more “normal” daily activities, this does increase the risk of spreading or caching COVID-19. Even by taking all the precautions you can, it’s important to know what steps to take if someone on your team was to test positive for COVID-19. Be sure to include this in your updated Emergency Action Plan and share this information with all participants, staff and spectators involved at practices/training.
COVID-19 Symptoms and Treatment (Ontario Government)
Find a COVID-19 Test Centre (Ontario Government)
How to self-isolate (Public Health Ontario)
Access your online COVID-19 Test Results (Ontario Government) – not ALL tests will be able to be accessed online. If you cannot access your test result online, please contact the clinician who ordered your test or your primary care provider.
It’s important that your athletes are prepared for what this new version of “training” will look like. A part of keeping everyone safe will be to provide athletes and coaching staff with reliable and easy-to-understand information regarding COVID-19 safety and returning to play.
These resources include proper hand-washing, physical distancing, how to wear a mask, and other tools that they can do on their own, prior to gathering with a group. It is vital that your team alerts you or the COVID-19 team lead if they start to feel unwell. As the coach, you may be responsible for turning athletes away if their health questionnaire displays that they could be a risk to others.
Inform athletes and staff of updated emergency procedures related to COVID-19. This includes the closest assessment centre to their training field/facility. Inform them that their attendance record contact information will be used if someone were to become ill.
Knowledge is power, giving some to your athletes alleviates work on yourself and staff if everyone stays updated and informed.
Symptoms of COVID-19 (Ontario Government)
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): How to self-monitor (Public Health Ontario)
How to Wash Your Hands/Use Hand Sanitizer (Public Health Ontario)
As Provincial organizations are releasing their return-to-play guidelines, you as the coach will be the main contact between your club and your athletes on safety protocols and measures.
Now that we can gather in larger groups does not mean we ease up on safety and stopping the spread of COVID-19.
Some key documents you should have on you at practices going forward:
Emergency Action Plan eModule (Available in your NCCP Locker account, under the eLearning tab)
COVID-19 Assessment Centre Map for printable version click HERE
There’s no easy way to turn away an athlete or staff member away from a practice – for any reason. However, the risk and potential consequences of not properly doing so if an athlete or staff member is suspected of having COVID-19 could be exponential. It is better to be over-cautious and find there is nothing wrong, then to have some accidently spread the virus.
One way to make these conversations easier:
It is important to note that these guidelines are to be used as a guide only. Nothing in this document is intended to provide legal advice. Do not rely on this document or treat it as legal advice.
Free & discounted training, funding, and resources
View all available workshops in Ontario.
This is a Competition Development multi-sport course. After completing this module, you will be able to manage administrative aspects of the program and oversee logistics.
This is a Competition Development multi-sport course. This course will enable you to implement general and sport-specific training protocols and methods to effectively develop or maintain athletic abilities specific to your sport.
This is a Competition Introduction multi-sport course. With the workshop you will be able to analyze certain coaching situations to determine if they promote learning.
This is a Competition Development multi-sport course.This module will allow you to identify common sources of conflict in sport.
By completing the NCCP Planning a Practice module you will be able to organize a well-structured practice plan with safe, age-appropriate activities you’ve designed to match the proficiency level of participants.
This is a Competition Introduction Multi-Sport module. With the NCCP Make Ethical Decisions workshop you will be fully equipped to handle virtually any ethical situation with confidence and surety.
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