Alert Level 2 Update for Area Groups/Clubs and Organising Committees

Dear valued Area Groups/Clubs and Organising Committees,

Thank you for your patience while we review and navigate the new requirements around Alert Level 2. We have now received more detailed guidance on the definitions around Alert level 2 from Sport NZ in order to finalise our guidelines. These guidelines are different to those previously published in a few key areas.

We recommend you review them carefully.

ESNZ Covid-19 Alert Level Plan – updated 10/09/21

Gatherings:

Equestrian Sports NZ events are limited to 100 in a defined space outdoors and 50 in a defined space indoors, this includes players and spectators. Staff, officials and other volunteers providing services to an event are not included in the 100 people
The definition of what constitutes a ‘defined space’ has changed. Indoor spaces will need to be enclosed by walls (not partitions) that substantially divide each space and don’t share airflow.
Multiple gatherings can take place at the same event or facility, as long as measures to keep the groups separate such as separate entrances/exits, temporary or permanent walls between groups, and separate airflow for indoor facilities. These groups must not mingle or share common facilities at the same time. Phasing of activities could be used to allow time for people to pass through communal areas safely.

Face coverings:

You must legally wear a face covering if you are aged 12 or over in certain settings such as on public transport, inside retail businesses and public venues. You are also encouraged to wear a face covering when you cannot maintain your physical distance from others.
In an equestrian context face coverings must be worn in indoor sport and recreation facilities and where physical distancing of 2 metres is not possible outdoors.
Face coverings should be worn when visiting the secretary’s office.
Face coverings are also not required when exercising or playing sport.

Mandatory contact tracing:

There is also now a legal requirement to keep a record of those who attend your event/ride through the COVID Tracer App or an alternative means.

The following guidance may assist to ensure that contact tracing is meeting the requirements.

To meet the requirements of mandatory record keeping and to allow assigning of everyone to their group of 100 (where there are more than one) you should request names of all people attending – additional supporters such as grooms, parents, other family members. It is important to know who else is coming with the competitor. You may wish to proactively limit this.
Check people in at the gate. This could be through scanning or manually checking off a list of people entered along with those attending with them. Ideally, the gate should be manned to ensure this and to guide people to their assigned space on arrival.
Provide advice to everyone attending your event about where they need to scan throughout the show, and the guidelines they need to follow. This could be communicated prior to the show and then again at the show. Such as scanning at office, food vendors, or any other common space.

Both Event Management Systems (Evo Events and Main-Events) offer contact tracing via their systems. Further information on this can be found under our level 2 toolkit.

A template for manual contact tracing can also be found at the link: https://www.nzequestrian.org.nz/level-2-tool-kit/

QR Codes:

Help people keep track of where they’ve been by displaying a NZ COVID Tracer QR code poster.

Click here for instructions on how to get your QR Code poster: https://covid19.govt.nz/business-and-money/businesses/get-your-qr-code-poster/

If you are unable to create a QR code for any reason, please contact [email protected] for assistance and we can create one for you.

Cleaning and hygiene:

Surfaces and equipment should be regularly cleaned and disinfected where practicable.

Good personal hygiene practices should continue – wash and dry your hands before and after activities, cough into your elbow and don’t touch your face.

Further work:

We know and understand that many Area Groups/Clubs and Organising Committees will struggle under these latest requirements and will choose not to run events.

Next week, together with New Zealand Pony Club we will do further work to bring you some scenarios and how best Area Groups/Clubs and Organising Committees can work around the current restrictions.

Further help or Questions:

We hope this information is of help and that the new Alert Level table answers any questions you may have. As always if you have any queries, please contact your Sport Manager, or send COVID-19 related queries to [email protected]