Dear Alberta Tennis Community:
Recently, Alberta Health released an updated version of Stage 2 GUIDANCE FOR ORGANIZED SPORT, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND RECREATION to further inform Albertans on what types of activities can be undertaken in Stage 2 of our reopening from COVID-19 restrictions. Noted changes include:
1. Tournaments, races and competitive events are permitted for sport, physical activity and recreational activities where participants are able to maintain 2 metre physical distancing at all times, or they are able to follow the mini-league model.
- If 2 metres distance or the mini-league model are not feasible, the tournament/event is not permitted.
- Tournaments/events that compel a new cohort team to be formed for a short period (e.g., a weekend) are not permitted at this time.
2. Where 2 metre physical distancing between individuals is maintained or the mini-league model is employed, travel for sport, physical and recreational activities is allowed.
In further review and discussion with our indoor tennis facility leaders, Tennis Alberta is still enforcing the postponement of the 2020-2021 indoor sanctioned tournament season.
The club leaders still feel a considerable amount of risk for facilities hosting tournaments and welcoming guests or non-members into their facility. Clubs are proceeding with caution when assuming the liability of hosting sanctioned indoor tournaments and provincial programming. Tennis Alberta is supporting our clubs as we work to ensure a safe return to all the elements of our sport including tournaments.
At this point there still is no timeline for the return of sanctioned provincial tournaments or programs to date.
Indoor tennis clubs, with the support of Tennis Alberta, will continue to review our fluid situation at the beginning of October. A critical evaluation point for the group is the return to school in September. Its impact on the spread of COVID-19, and the rate of community transmission, are heavily weighted metrics for the safe return to sanctioned tournament play. The priority identified by the groups is the return of sanctioned tournaments then phased programs (i.e. regroupings).
As a collective group, we will continue to make adjustments to recommendations of the Government of Alberta and AHS, as well as continue conversations on how and when to proceed resuming tournaments in the near future.
We appreciate the community’s patience and support as we move forwarding during this unprecedented time.
Sincerely,
