COVID-19 Arena Guidelines

Good Afternoon Clubs,

Ringette Ontario is thrilled to welcome our Clubs, athletes, coaches, and officials back to resume practice and game play on January 31st, per your local Public Health unit and facilities requirements.

See notice for further details. 

MDRA Guidelines

Every team will require a volunteer/parent assigned to verifying COVID screening and proof of vaccination; team rosters are accessible in the RAMP Team App. Completed screening tracking sheets should be sent to mdracovidsafety@gmail.com for tracking purposes. A reminder of the requirements are found below, if you have any questions about the process and/or requirements please reach out to mdracovidsafety@gmail.com. 

COVID Screening Requirements

• All persons entering the arena are required to confirm they are symptom free  
• Players and bench staff must complete the screening in the RAMP Team app
• Anyone without access to the RAMP Team app must confirm they have used the following screening tool https://secureforms.ottawapublichealth.ca/School-Health-Sante-scolaire/COVID-19-Screening-Tool-for-Students

Vaccination Requirements

• All spectators and bench staff 12+ must provide proof of vaccination and I.D. prior to entering the arena

 Arena Protocols

As we begin a new season we want to remind all of our players, volunteers and spectators that there are “Arena Conditions of Use” that must be followed, as the consequence of not doing so is a loss of our ice contracts.  

Please review the following:

Attendance and screening:

• Each team (Coach, Manager, Training, Safety Lead) is responsible to ensure the Health Attestation in the RAMP Team App is completed prior to their ice time.
• If you cannot confirm any of the screening questions, stay home & self-isolate right away. Visit OttawaPublicHealth.ca/Coronavirus for more information as you may be eligible for a COVID-19 test.  

Arena Guidance (City of Ottawa):

• There are NO RESTRICTIONS on team sports  Physical contact, size of teams, cohorts, or any other game play scenarios may resume.
• Ice capacity is limited to 80 people.
• The change rooms must follow 2 meter distancing It is expected that most change rooms will not accommodate a full team, so please limit time in change rooms and use the overflow areas where chairs will be available. If the room is full, please wait until another player exits before entering.
• Masks must be worn by everyone in the facility at all times This includes players in the change rooms,  the bench staff and all spectators, with the only exception being for those on the ice.  There will be zero tolerance for failure to comply, and those not adhering to masking policies will be reported to City staff to protect the integrity of our ice contracts and ensure health and safety for our participants.  
• Facilities are allowing 50% capacity The number of occupants will be listed outside each facility and must be respected.  Generally, this means that each player can have 1-2 spectators in attendance with them. 
• No warm ups or dryland in the facility unless you pay and rent a room designated for that activity.
• Spectators must practice physical distancing in the stands unless you are from the same household.
• Parents and guardians are asked to remove equipment outside of the arena to help with capacity issues, and allow the next group to come in.

The Covid-19 Conditions of Use for the arenas must be followed at all times or you will be asked to leave the facility. Vaccine update: we are waiting on clarifications from the City and Ringette Ontario following the update from Ontario regarding their guidance for the proof of vaccination policy. Stay tuned!

FAQ:

1. What are the restrictions if a household member (not the participant) has symptoms?

A: If the participant is fully vaccinated*, they may still attend ringette.  If the participant is not fully vaccinated*, they must self-isolate and cannot attend ringette.

2. What if a household member (not the participant) has tested positive for Covid-19?

A: The participant must not attend ringette.  If the participant is fully vaccinated*, they are permitted to attend “essential” activities (like school or work) but NOT non-essential activities, like ringette.  If the participant is not fully vaccinated*, they should isolate for 10 days after their swab was taken. To reiterate, if a household member tests positive, the participant may not attend ringette, regardless of the participant’s vaccination status.

*For the purposes of these questions, “fully vaccinated” means it has been at least 14 days since the individual received their second dose of a COVID vaccine or an acceptable combination of COVID vaccines, (i.e. Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna), OR it has been at least 14 days since they received the only dose of a single-dose vaccine (i.e. Johnson & Johnson.) If you were vaccinated outside of Canada and aren’t sure, please reach out to Ottawa Public Health to confirm that you are considered “fully vaccinated.”

More info here: https://www.ottawapublichealth.ca/en/shared-content/resources/Corona/Covid-19-Tested-What-Now-Handout_-EN.pdf

https://www.ottawapublichealth.ca/en/public-health-topics/self-isolation-instructions-for-novel-coronavirus-covid-19.aspx