Rowing-related Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates

Click IMAGE to download PDF version of roadmap

Friday, 23 April 2021

URGENT ANNOUNCEMENT: Clubs to close during 3-day lockdown

From Daniel Tackenberg, CEO of Rowing WA

"Due to the recently announced 3-day lockdown in the Perth and Peel regions commencing at midnight tonight the following will need to occur:

Community sport is not permitted during lockdown in the Perth and Peel regions and as such rowing clubs in these regions are not allowed to be open.
Please advise all of your members of this being the case.

If further relevant information comes to light it will be communicated as soon as possible.

As we have always done as a rowing community, let’s do our part to keep WA safe."

Below are the details of the lockdown officially released from the Premiers' office.

Stay up to date with further information through the WA Government COVID-19 webpage.

Friday, 5 February 2021

From 6pm, Friday 5 February the following will come into effect:

Perth and Peel will enter into a post-lockdown transition period until 12.01am, Sunday 14 February.

Based on the advice on wa.gov.au, Rowing WA interpret the new restrictions to mean the following for rowing in Perth and Peel clubs and schools:

A mask must be worn by rowers at all times unless conducting outdoor vigorous exercise on the water, an ergometer or other vigorous exercise e.g. running / cycling.
Masks must be worn at all times when exercising indoors, no exceptions.
Coaches must wear masks at all times, no exceptions.
Boatsheds need to revise their capacity to meet the 4 square metre rule. Previous stage 4 restrictions were 2 sqm, so this number needs to be halved.
There is a 150 person capacity for fitness venues, public venues and community sport. Although this should not affect many clubs or schools, some may need to alter training schedules. This rule will impact the conduct of regattas during this transition phase. Further information has been requested from DLGSC regarding the conduct of regattas.
Contact Registers are mandatory at all rowing clubs.
Masks are not compulsory for primary aged youth.
Boatsheds should continue to maintain regular cleaning protocols, social distancing where possible and encourage good personal hygiene
Clubs and schools should maintain policies requiring members with symptoms to stay away from the boatshed and get COVID tested
Boatsheds must maintain (and update where necessary) their COVID safety plans.

All other clubs and schools outside of Perth and Peel are able to return to normal rowing activities on previous Phase 4 restrictions.

Wednesday, 2 December 2020

Download Handy Tools & Information Posters Here.

Click here for the complete COVID-19 coronavirus: Contact registers stakeholder toolkit

You will find various resources to help you promote and implement contact registers and SafeWA.

Watch Video - How to Use SafeWA for Individuals

What are the Penalties for not Maintaining a Contact Tracing Register?

It will be a legal requirement for particular businesses to keep a contact register. Not having a contact register may put the Western Australian community at risk, as it will slow the process for contact tracing should a COVID-19 affected patron visit your premises.

Businesses that put the community at risk in this way risk penalties under the Emergency Management Act 2005, including a fine of up to $50,000 for an individual and $250,000 for a body corporate, or 12 months imprisonment. Infringement notices can also be issued.

Penalties also apply to businesses for:

not being able to produce contact records with the required information in the required time frame (three hours or as otherwise as reasonably practicable)

using contact details for purposes other than contact tracing, unless otherwise permitted by law.

Individual patrons will also face penalties for providing false information in connection with the provision of contact details (individuals).

CLICK HERE For more information on FAQ's about Contact Registers for Businesses and Venues

Wednesday, 25 November 2020

On Wednesday, the WA State Government officially announced the requirement for indoor sporting facilities (amongst other venues) to maintain a contact tracing register effective from Saturday 5 December 2020. This will cover any persons that step foot inside your rowing clubs, including patrons, staff, volunteers and contractors.

The media release is available here.

In line with this announcement, the State Government has developed a free QR code based app to make this process simple for businesses, called SafeWA. Venues can be split into different areas for clubs that operate gyms, cafes and function spaces and businesses can operate multiple venues e.g. for clubs that have 2nd sheds at Champion Lakes.

Further information about the SafeWA App is available here.

This site contains information and fact sheets that you will be able to send your members on how the QR system will work.

Businesses are able to utilise a paper-based contact register, however if these are required by the Department of Health, businesses will have 3 hours to produce this documentation.
Whereas the app information is automatically collected and stored by the Department of Health (DoH).
The Safe WA app register records will only be required to be held for a 28-day period, and will only be used for necessary COVID-19 contact tracing, should DoH require it, before it is disposed of in accordance with data privacy laws.
Please read through the available information to determine which system is best suited to your club.

There is a Contact Register Stakeholder Toolkit available here.

This provides templates for paper-based contact registers and guides and videos on how to set-up the QR code based app system. It is not mandatory to use the SafeWA app. Other electronic contact registers are available.

This video easily explains how to set up the QR code system for your club.

Rowing WA will be establishing QR codes for rowing club tenants at Canning Bridge and Champion Lakes and erecting posters with these QR codes on all rowing sheds. Further specific information will be sent to these clubs early next week.

Records are not required to be collected for children under 16 years (for privacy reasons).

Clubs will need to establish protocols for their members about use of the contact tracing register to ensure they remain compliant with the State Government direction. The announcement states that:

‘Failing to comply to the new requirements could result in fines and penalties of up to $50,000 for an individual and $250,000 for a body corporate or 12 months' imprisonment.’

So as we have done in the past, let’s continue to do our bit to keep our members and the WA community safe. We will keep you informed as more information comes to light between now and 5 December.

RETURN TO ROWING IN WA ROADMAP

The intent of the roadmap is to provide high-level guidance to committees, boards, coaches and rowers on the proposed resumption of rowing in Western Australia. This will be a very fluid document as dates and restrictions related to future phases are determined. RWA will update this roadmap as new information comes to hand. Click on the image below to download the Roadmap.