COVID-19 UPDATES
Thursday 28th of July 2021 6:00 pm
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!
NSW COVID-19 CASE LOCATIONS
If there are places associated with a confirmed COVID-19 case in the past 14 days, they will be listed on the NSW Government website HERE
Locations are generally removed 14 days the last known date that a confirmed case was associated with the location.
NEW COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS FOR GREATER SYDNEY
From midnight tonight (28 July):
Given low vaccination rates, the current stay at home orders will remain in place for another four weeks (until Saturday, 28 August at 12.01 am) across Greater Sydney including the Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Wollongong and Shellharbour.
This extra time will allow NSW residents to significantly increase the uptake of vaccines in areas most affected by the current outbreak and across the state.
Overnight, the stay at home restrictions for Orange, Cabonne and Blayney were lifted. These LGAs are now subject to the same restrictions as the rest of Regional NSW, which remain unchanged.
In line with exercise rules, Greater Sydney residents including the Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Wollongong and Shellharbour must limit their shopping to within their Local Government Area (LGA) or, if outside their LGA, within 10km from home, unless the item is not available locally.
Given localised case numbers, the Parramatta, Campbelltown and Georges River LGAs will join the five existing LGAs (Canterbury-Bankstown, Fairfield, Liverpool, Blacktown and Cumberland) of concern which are subject to an Authorised Workers Order. Only authorised workers in these eight LGAs may leave their LGA for work.
→Outdoor public gatherings (including exercise) will be limited to two people (excluding members of the same household);
→People must stay in their Local Government Area or within 10km of home for exercise and outdoor recreation, with no carpooling between non-household members.
→Browsing in shops is prohibited, plus only one person per household, per day, may leave the home for shopping.
Restrictions in Regional NSW remain unchanged, for more information for regional and rural areas and across NSW please visit https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/rules/what-you-can-do-nsw
Given the dynamic nature of this situation, organisations are also encouraged to stay up to date on NSW Government advice at: https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19
FACE MASK RULES
Please visit the NSW Government page dedicated to the wearing of face masks and when they can be removed and any other exemptions https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/rules/face-mask-rules .
COMMUNITY BASKETBALL IN NSW 28th JULY – 28th AUGUST
Advice for the Sport and Recreation Sector – Greater Sydney, Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong, and Shellharbour
Under the Public Health Order, undertaking exercise and outdoor recreation activities is a reasonable excuse to leave your home.
From 5 pm, Friday 9 July:
→ Outdoor public gatherings (including exercise) will be limited to two people (excluding members of the same household);
→ People must stay in their Local Government Area or within 10km of home for exercise and outdoor recreation, with no carpooling between non-household members.
NSW Health advice is that no formal competitions or training sessions are to take place and no community sport (whether training or a match) in Greater Sydney including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour should proceed. This includes coaching or tuition programs.
Certain premises are also required to be closed to members of the public, including registered clubs and indoor recreational facilities.
Advice for the Sport and Recreation Sector – Regional NSW (outside of Greater Sydney, Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour.
→ Indoor recreation facilities and gyms are required to adhere to 1 person per 4 square metres in all areas.
See the advice on the NSW Office of Sport website for more detailed information.
Please liaise with your local basketball association for further updates on the activities they run.
BASKETBALL NSW EVENTS 28th July – 28th AUGUST, 2021
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)
The following NSW events are now set to AMBER.
→ All-Metro Junior League games
→ All-Senior Leagues games involving Metropolitan teams, Central Coast teams, and Illawarra teams.
→ Waratah Wheelchair League
→ All Eastern Junior League games
→ Junior Premier League
All other Basketball NSW events are set to GREEN.
→ Northern Junior League Finals at Tamworth.
SPECTATOR NUMBERS FOR BNSW JUNIOR EVENTS
Indoor recreation facilities are required to adhere to 1 person per 4 square metres in all areas.
Northern Junior League Finals at Tamworth
→ Spectator numbers are now two (2) per participant, including siblings and regardless of coach, manager, scorer etc.
→ You are required to QR code in if you are not an official participant in a game.
→ If you have visited a Covid-19 Hotspot, please stay home and follow government directions.
→ Stay away if you are unwell.
→ Practice 1.5m physical distancing where possible.
→ Use the hand sanitiser as provided.
SPECTATOR NUMBERS FOR BNSW SENIOR EVENTS
For the Country associations who are able to play each other this weekend, each association must comply with its own COVID-19 Safety Plan and venue capacity.
→ Spectator numbers remain at two (2) per participant, including siblings and regardless of coach, manager, scorer etc.
→ You are required to QR code in if you are not an official participant in a game.
→ If you have visited a Covid-19 Hotspot, please stay home and follow government directions.
→ Stay away if you are unwell.
→ Practice 1.5m physical distancing where possible.
→ Use the hand sanitiser as provided.
MASK WEARING REQUIREMENTS FOR COMMUNITY SPORT
For all activities taking place at indoor recreation facilities, gyms and COVID-safe outdoor community sport activities a face mask must be worn.
With the exception of gym classes and dance classes (where masks must be worn for the duration of the activity), the following principles apply:
→Everyone is required to wear a mask upon arrival to the facility/activity (including training and games)
→Participants and referees/umpires are able to remove their masks when they commence warming up for the activity.
→Everyone else (coaches, managers, team doctors, score table officials and spectators etc) has to keep their masks on at all times.
→Following the completion of the match, players and referees need to put their masks back on as soon as possible prior to leaving the venue.
There are some exemptions to the mandatory face mask requirement, including children aged 12 and under and people who have a physical or mental health illness or condition, or disability, that makes wearing a mask unsuitable.
COVID-19 SYMPTOMS
Anyone with symptoms should come forward for COVID-19 testing.
Symptoms of COVID-19 include:
- fever (37.5 ° or higher)
- cough
- sore/scratchy throat
- shortness of breath
- loss of smell or
- loss of taste.
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 Gathering Restrictions) Order (No 2) 2021 commenced on 2 June 2021 Public Health (COVID-19 Greater Sydney) Order (No 2) 2021 commenced on 23 June 2021.
→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
