ELTC COVID-19 UPDATE – 21/07/2020
Dear Members
Following recent LTA updated guidance, we wanted to highlight a few things:
- Recent relaxation of measures by the UK government have come hand in hand with efforts to track and trace the spread of the virus. In order for ELTC to comply, all those who book courts must keep a record for at least 21 days of those who played with them. We will advise members if it becomes possible to keep a record of who played via the Clubspark booking system.
- The maximum children’s coaching group size has been raised to 15.
- Certain competitions are now allowed. Internal competitions are allowed, though one-day events such as tournaments are unlikely to comply with social distancing rules. At ELTC there are box leagues or ladders organised by the Team Captains, details of which have been previously circulated.
- Inter-club County and District leagues may now go ahead. We look forward to hearing more details from the individual league organisers and will enter teams as and when allowed. This year’s Herts League competition has been rolled over to next year.
- The LTA has said that club nights may go ahead, but they must be organised. Sadly, our traditional mix-in formats cannot yet proceed without prior organisation. Ladies Night is being organised into fixed fours. We can do the same for Mens Night, but we would require a volunteer to step forward to organise it. Re: Thursday Club Nights, we will advise members if and when we can get them running again. For any mix-in type of event, the Government and the LTA require that risk assessments and event plans must be drawn up to minimise the risks of spreading Covid-19.
All of the above measures should be interpreted in the context of the UK Government’s and the LTA’s guidance regarding social distancing. The need for ongoing social distancing (2m) must override all other concerns. Thus, members must abide by the current LTA guidance:
- Players are advised to limit their interactions with anyone outside of the group they are attending the venue with (e.g. players on another court or in a different coaching group).
- Players should continue to maintain social distancing from those that they do not live with or are in a support bubble with.
Thank you for your patience as we slowly make the journey back towards normality. Though we may still be a fair way from normality, the current high court usage is a testament to members’ eagerness to play.