COVID-19 UPDATES
Friday 15th of January 2021 11:00 am
Basketball NSW continues to work closely with Basketball Australia, NSW Office of Sport, NSW Health and other government agencies as we plan for the full return of basketball in NSW.
Our localised plan for the return of basketball in NSW is in line with the Federal Governments National Principals for the Resumption of Sport, the AIS Framework for Rebooting Sport in a Covid-19 Environment with Basketball Australia’s Return to Basketball Guidelines providing a strong reference point.
We continue to work with Basketball Australia and the other Basketball States and Territories to develop practical working guides for associations to use in enabling basketball activities to be run as soon as possible, we encourage associations to also read Social Distancing & Hygiene Considerations for Basketball and Sport Activities in a Stadium.
We’re all in this together. Let’s be safe and let’s support each other!
FROM MONDAY, 7 December 2020
The NSW Government will ease the following restrictions allowing:
Gatherings in outdoor public spaces
→ Gatherings of up to 5,000 people will be permitted to attend sport and recreation events in outdoor spaces that are fenced, ticketed, and seated (subject to the one person per 2 square metre rule).
→ Other organised outdoor gatherings (including community sport and recreation activities) will be permitted to have up to 3,000 people, inclusive of people taking part in the activity, officials and spectators (subject to the one person per 2sqm rule).
→ Activity organisers will still be required to have a COVID-19 Safety Plan in place.
Indoor Recreation Facilities
→ This includes venues such as basketball stadiums.
→ Indoor recreation facilities (excluding gyms) can accommodate a maximum of 1 person per 2 square metres for all community sport activities.
→ Facility operators and community sport organisations will still be required to have a COVID-19 Safety Plan in place.
Stadiums
→ Outdoors: 100 per cent seated capacity, and 1 person per 2sqm rule for unstructured seating areas (e.g. grass hills, concourses etc).
→ Indoors: 75 per cent seated capacity.
BASKETBALL IN NSW
The NSW State Government has released the Public Health (COVID-19 Restrictions on Gathering and Movement) Order (No 7) 2020. The essence of this is that basketball can operate under close to normal conditions but with appropriate safeguards in place.
This means:
→ Develop and execute a Covid-19 Safety Plan.
→ Compy with all social distancing rules.
→ Comply with either the 2sqm or 4Sqm rule
→ Comply with good hygiene practices limiting the risk of transmission.
→ Work closely with stadium operators and user groups.
Please take a conservative view in relation to your activities by observing the guidelines above and taking sensible precautions to protect the health of all of us.
Please liaise with your local basketball association for further updates to the activities they run.
LATEST COVID-19 CASE LOCATIONS IN NSW
Confirmed COVID-19 cases can be found by visiting the NSW Government website, the NSW Government updates their page if further locations have been identified, we recommend that you check their page regularly.
No NSW Affiliated Association has been listed as a confirmed Covid-19 hotspot.
BASKETBALL NSW EVENTS
Basketball NSW will update this section of our website advising our community if any BNSW events (includes Spalding Waratah Junior and Senior Leagues, High-Performance Programs) have been cancelled or likely to be cancelled subject to NSW Government rulings.
In making this decision we are factoring in the following; stadium location, stadium capacity, stadium availability, NSW travel restrictions, known covid-19 hotspots, team/participant health, biosafety officer(s) availability, bio measures available at the stadium, that the hosting association has submitted and is an approved as a COVID safe business.
→ GREEN (indicates we are proceeding as planned)
→ AMBER (postponed, a new date will be announced)
→ RED (the BNSW event is cancelled)
January 2021
RED (Cancelled)
→ Australian Country Junior Basketball Cup (January 2021)
→ East Coast Challenge (January 2021)
→ Southern Cross Challenge (January 2021)
→ Country Development Tour (January 2021)
GREEN
BNSW Events
→ U15 & U17 Shootout 16-18 January 2021 at the Hills Basketball Stadium
→ The Shelley Gorman Invitational 15 – 17 January at the University of Sydney Sports Centre
NSW HEALTH ADVICE FOR NORTHERN BEACHES LGA
The NSW Government has implemented new restrictions for those people living in the Northern Beaches LGA. The restrictions involve the region is separated into two zones (a Northern zone and a Southern zone). People living in both zones must abide by the “stay at home” guidelines and are not permitted to travel outside their zone. These restrictions will be reassessed on the following dates:
→Restrictions for the Northern area will be reassessed on 9 January 2021.
→ Restrictions for the Southern area will be reassessed on 2 January 2021.
Unfortunately, as a result of the above restrictions implemented by the NSW Government, any athletes/coaches/referees from the above areas will not be permitted to participate in any Basketball NSW events until the restrictions are lifted.
MINIMISING SPECTATORS AT COMMUNITY SPORT
The rules for indoor venues in Greater Sydney have changed. Venues are to adhere to the one person per 4 square metres rule. This means that only one (1) spectator per player will be allowed to attend events. If this changes before the event, we will inform everyone.
Spectators will also be required to:
- have their temperatures checked upon arrival
- provide personal contact details through registering with a QR code
- wear a face mask
- adhere to social distancing rules
- leave the venue immediately following training/games
Safety Guidelines for players
Participants should not attend training or play in games if they are:
- unwell or had any flu-like symptoms;
- have been in contact with a known case of COVID-19 in the past 14 days;
- been overseas or exposed to someone with COVID-19 in the last 14 days;
- reside in a locked-down part of the Northern Beaches.
Basketball NSW will continue to work with NSW Health and the NSW Office of Sport and the respective local councils. We will also provide further updates following any new developments/announcements made by the NSW Government.
FACE MASKS
NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant strongly recommends wearing a mask:
-
if it is hard to maintain 1.5 metres of physical distance from others
-
on public transport
-
in supermarkets and shops
-
in places of worship
-
in indoor venues with a higher risk of transmission, where practical
-
if working in cafes, restaurants, pubs, clubs and other venues with a higher risk of transmission.
Wearing a mask in any of these settings is not mandatory but is highly recommended, especially in areas where there has been community transmission.
Useful Links
→Sport Australia Return to Sport – toolkit
The NSW Government has enacted several Public Health Orders which directly impact on the Sport and Active Recreation Sector. Public Health (COVID-19 Restrictions on Gathering and Movement) Order (No 7) 2020.
→Australian Government Covid-19 website
→Australian Department of Health Covid-19 at a glance
→Basketball Australia Covid-19 Hub
→NSW Government Covid-19 website
→NSW Office of Sport Covid-19 website
The Office of Local Government has developed a local government FAQs document which includes information relating to sport and recreation activities and venues.
→World Health Organisation Covid-19 website
