Covid - 19 Update for Safe Tennis Guidelines 24/09/20 - Abbeydale Tennis Club

Further to The Government’s Covid 19 update of Tuesday 22nd September 2020 and further advice today from our Governing Body, The Lawn Tennis Association ( LTA ) we have amended our Club Covid-19 Play Safe Tennis Guidelines, with effect from Thursday 24th September 2020.

Fortunately, Tennis is accepted as one of the safest activities that can be done in relation to Covid 19 transmission, due to the distances apart the players / pupils are which naturally create Social Distancing, therefore we don’t have many new restrictions and are exempt from other measures especially for Organised and Regulated Group Coaching.

However, in the new Play Safe Tennis guidelines, there are a few additions that members / guests must adhere to while they are on The Club’s premises, which we have included below for your information.

The full new guidelines are listed in detail below, but as a brief summary there are 11 bullet pointed changes that affect you all:-

- Pre Attendance Symptom Checker
- NHS Test & Trace App
- Face Coverings in The Tennis Clubhouse ( unless seated )
- Seating Service only for the bar / café - Don’t approach the reception desk.
- Maximum of SIX people in any setting both off and on court ( except coaching )
- Stay Socially Distant - Stay at least 1m away from everybody not in your household.
- Organised Tennis Coaching EXEMPT from "Rule of Six"
- Singles and Doubles plus all coaching to carry on as normal.
- Book Courts & Course online or by phone wherever possible ( to reduce contact )
- Please access The Clubhouse / class / courts no earlier than 2 minutes before allocated time to reduce mingling. Waiting in your car is recommended.
- Players encouraged to not use showers wherever possible and arrive and leave in Tennis Gear.

New from 24/09/20

Pre Attendance Symptom Checker:
All members / guests attending The Tennis Club should undergo a pre attendance self assessment for any Covid-19 symptoms before leaving home and should any individual have demonstrated any such symptoms, they must follow NHS and PHE guidance on Self isolation.

NHS Test & Trace: The required App is called NHS COVID-19

The Club is using The NHS COVID-19 Track & Trace App and we have our own QR Reader Code. The NHS App is live from tomorrow and all people attending The Club are now required to Scan The Club’s QR Code on their phones immediately they arrive at The Club.
There are numerous QR codes around The Club, including on The Top outdoor courts, the notice board outside the front door and on the reception desk as well as many other loactions.
It is now MANDETOTY for The Club’s to ensure that every single person uses The NHS Track and Trace App and ask for your patience if receptionists and coaches are over zealous in checking that you have scanned in, as they have been told how vital it is we record everybody’s details upon every visit.

Bar & Café:-
The Bar and Café area must now close at 10pm every night and members / guest asked to vacate the premises at that time. Please can all members ensure they are ready to leave at 10pm and not have to be reminded by reception staff which will increase interaction.

Face Coverings should now be worn by both staff and customers in Tennis Clubhouses, ( except when members / guests are seated at a table to eat or drink.) Face Coverings must be used when moving from your table to other areas, such as the Club toilets or to leave the Club.

A seating service only will be operated and we ask that members / guests wear masks while they find and secure a table within The Clubhouse and then The Receptionist will take your order from the table, accept payments and deliver your drinks to you.
Please don’t approach the reception desk to order your drinks or food.

A maximum of SIX people can sit together in The Tennis Clubhouse, being socially distant ( ie sat at least 1 metre apart ) and up to a maximum of 16 people within The Clubhouse Café area at any one time.

Players are asked to not “mingle’ ahead of their scheduled court time and to arrive within The venue no more that a couple of minutes before their allocated playing time, to avoid unnecessary group gatherings.

Booking Courts and Classes - To reduce contact to a minimum members are requested to book both courts and classes Online wherever possible. Where this is not possible, contacting The Club on the phone is the next best way of contacting us or phone and to use reception to book your classes and courses as a last resort until further notice. If you have to approach the reception desk, please a) Come to the counter opposite the main door with the Perspex screen b) Please wait behind the yellow Covid 19 tape on the floor and wait for reception to respond.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES can anybody except staff go behind the reception desk.


Allowable Tennis / Safe Tennis – There shouldn’t be any noticeable changes to playing tennis or receiving coaching at Abbeydale Tennis Club.

-Singles & doubles are permitted indoor and outdoor courts with people from different households
-Play is permitted on both indoor & outdoor courts
-Adult Coaching is EXEMPT from the rule of 6 as it’s an organised Coaching activity and therefore subject to both Risk Assessments and being Covid 19 Safe Tennis Rules.
-Adult Group Coaching ( such as Cardio Tennis & Ladies Mornings ) will be restricted to a maximum of 6 pupils per court ( + Coach ) therefore two courts = 12 pupils and 2 coaches and so on.

For informal social play, group size is limited to a maximum of six people by law. This applies only to members organising their own games and does not apply to Club organised coaching groups, as they are exempt from the rule of six, due to being subject to a rigorous Risk Assessment, Staff Training and LTA Safe Tennis Conditions & COVID-19 Secure Guidelines. If you are organising your own games as member, The Club strongly recommends you organise games for a maximum of 4 people per court as a maximum.

** When participating in any tennis activity indoors or outdoors, participants must not mingle in groups of more than SIX people either BEFORE OR AFTER the activity, while maintaining social distancing with those from another household at all times. The exception to this is if you are using The Clubhouse for a drink, in which case you take a seat and wait to be served at your table ( again in a group of a maximum of six ) **

Thank you for your cooperation with these changes that will ultimately enable us to stay open.

 

John & The Abbeydale Team 

 

Any further updates will be announced on The Club’s website www.abbeydaletennisclub.com