COVID Guidance

General Guidance and Expectations in Support of a Return to Squad Swimming – Version 4

Introduction

We recognise the return to swimming once again may feel strange and may make people nervous or worried. We are doing our utmost to ensure we are taking all the necessary precautions whilst trying to provide a sense of normalcy. 

Over the coming weeks if you do have any concerns you can contact any of the following people, depending on the nature of your concern (best contact details available on the website);

• Club Covid Leads: Mike Fisher and Vicky Harrison
• Head Coaches: Sarah Standen and Zoe Baker
• On site at each session: Covid Liaison/Support person
• Welfare Officer: Paula Satchwell

Before Returning to Training

• Check timetable for your sessions and your specific group within the session

Before leaving home and on your return

• Do not go to a training venue if you currently have any illness symptoms or have been in contact with a known Covid-19 case in the last 14 days. Use the Club’s ‘Pre-Training Assessment’ to help.
• To reduce time spent in changing areas:
  • Arrive ‘beach style’ ready to swim. Once you have finished your swim, leave the venue as soon as you can.
  • Shower at home, pre and post swimming (showers will be available at Oaklands only, but by arriving wearing your swimwear under your clothing and showering at home pre and post swimming you will help minimise time spent in the changing rooms and help maintain the water quality).
  • If swimmers do not shower at home before coming to training the pool staff will be unable to maintain the required PH levels in the pool and will be forced to close the venue. Please don’t use deodorant or moisturiser or apply make-up after showering.
• People from a household or support bubble can travel together in a vehicle. You should try not to share a vehicle with those outside your household or social bubble. If you need to do this see additional guidance here
• Check the instructions on arrival time, parking, travel arrangements for the pool you are going to and plan your journey accordingly.
• Take hand sanitiser with you and use it before entering the facility and again on exit.
• Minimise the amount of equipment and personal items brought to sessions. Ideally they are In a single, identifiable bag. Items should be labelled. A lot of  swim kit bags are very large, please seek smaller alternatives in the short term.

At the facility

• Each facility we use will have a meeting muster point for drop offs and a muster point for pick-ups. These will likely be different locations.
• We will have a member of our support team located at drop-off and pick-up points to help facilitate a safe, smooth and timely transition to and from the poolside.
• Upon arrival at the venue you will need to register in with the support team. Please arrive 10 minutes before the session starts to register so we can be on the poolside in time to start your swimming.
• Please check if our support staff have your parents / guardians’ correct telephone number should we need to contact them during the session.
• The timing of entry to your training session needs to be followed strictly to enable social distancing, strict arrive and strict departure. Swimmers arriving late will not be permitted to swim until we facilitate access to the session safely.
• Please follow the guidance on pre swim arrival, duration of swim and post swim arrangements for the specific pool you are using and the group you are in.
• Parents / guardians of under 16’s are required to drop off and pick-up from the pool’s identified mustering point at the times required.
• Only one parent/guardian should come onto site to drop off or collect.
• Parents/guardians are not allowed poolside during training sessions.
• No adults other than venue and coaching staff will be permitted to enter the pool building without permission.
• Swimmers will only be permitted to go to the toilet on their own and not in groups. When returning from the toilet do not enter the pool until you have been given permission by your coach to do so in the appropriate gap.
• When you arrive poolside please familiarise / remind yourself of the pool environment, for example entry and exit points and one way systems.
• Whilst in the building and the pool, follow the guidance on social distancing, direction of travel and other risk control measures that are put in place for the pool you are using.
• Use hand sanitiser/wash stations wherever made available.
• We will have additional support staff in place to help people at the venue and will also have clear signage around the spaces we are using.
• If you need help at any time please ask a member of the support team or our specific site Covid Liaison Lead

Pool-Specific Guidance

The generic guidance above applies to all the following venues.

Kings School

• Swimmers must arrive pool-ready and have showered at home 
• The drop-off and pick-up point for swimmers is outside the reception to the sports facilities in good weather, and just inside in poorer weather.
• The onsite Covid lead will meet and organise swimmers at the drop-off point.
• There is a one-way system down the corridor to the pool building. Swimmers will be asked to use the hand sanitiser on entry to the building and then be guided by the onsite Covid lead to poolside at the appropriate time.
• Masters swimmers can use the changing facilities at the end of a session but with numbers limited to 6 people in the changing room at any given time.
• Coaches and the Onsite Covid Lead will wear a face covering inside the building until swimmers are in the water and the session is ready to start.

Oaklands Community Pool

• The drop-off and pick-up point for swimmers is outside the reception to the sports facilities.
• The onsite Covid lead will meet and organise swimmers at the drop-off point.
• There is a one-way system down the corridor to the pool building. Swimmers will be asked to use the hand sanitiser on entry to the building and then be guided by the onsite Covid lead to poolside at the appropriate time.
• Coaches and the Onsite Covid Lead will wear a face covering inside the building until swimmers are in the water and the session is ready to start.
• The poolside shower is available after the session for a brief rinse as swimmers leave poolside. This cannot include shampoo and shower gels etc and this must be a matter of seconds per swimmer. The changing rooms will be open for use, so swimmers can quickly change and get dry and leave by the exit doors and not the fire exits as we have been doing. We strongly recommend use of the shower and changing rooms are avoided if possible, but recognise they may be needed before school/college for example.  

St Swithuns School

• Please arrive at the swimming pool no earlier than 10 minutes before your pre booked session, doors will open 5 minutes before the session is due to begin
• Please use the hand sanitiser before entering and masks must be worn until you reach your allocated space on poolside.
• There will be a one way system in and out of the building through designated changing rooms.
• Swimmers will be allocated a chair on poolside to leave their belongings.
• There will be no showers or changing rooms available, so swimmers will need to arrive beach ready.
• Social distancing must be maintained in the building at all times.
• The viewing gallery will remain closed during all sessions.

In the pool
In trying to follow the instructions below please do not be fearful of asking for further instruction or help, or stopping if you really need to.

• Follow the directions for entry and exit to the pool for your group and your position in the group.
• You will have been provided, prior to the start of the session, with details of which lane you will be training in and which end of the pool to enter the water from. If you are unsure where you are meant to go ask a member of the support team. The lane allocations are non negotiable. 
• Listen carefully to the instructions provided, including the intensity and specifics of the set.
• Do not overtake whilst swimming or touch another swimmer.  If a swimmer needs to change their lane order this will be done under the strict supervision of the coaches and made when appropriate. 

Covid Training Groups

• Remain with your training group – the same small group of swimmers share your lane in all your training sessions. You should not attempt to swap positions with another swimmer in a different lane.

Direction

• The coach will inform you of the direction of the lanes at the start of the session. Please follow this and move across to the appropriate side of the lane each length. 
• At  Kings School all swimmers will be required to swim in a clockwise direction around the lanes (unless another pool layout has been agreed with the pool manager in advance) 

Space

• Always attempt to maintain appropriate social distance between yourself and another swimmer both in and out of the water.
• There will be a maximum of six swimmers in any training lane to ensure social distancing can be maintained.

Resting

• Coaches will have allowed for plenty of rest and rehydration stops, however if you need to stop during a set please exit the pool and seek support so that others can continue to swim.

Equipment

• The use of training equipment will be kept to a minimum. You will be advised on which equipment to bring with you to any session by your lead coach.  All club equipment in use will be disinfected between sessions. Upon arrival poolside swimmers will be required to disinfect their own equipment by submerging it in the pool. Equipment should not be shared or swapped between swimmers. No personal equipment may be left on site.

Sessions

• Initial swim sessions will be focussed on safe access, water familiarity and fitness / competency testing
• When two sessions run back to back the swimmers from the first session will need to have left poolside and a cleaning regime carried out before the swimmers for the second session can be allowed poolside. We hope this can be achieved in less than 10 minutes and therefore  a 1 hr session will in effect run for 50 minutes with a 10min change over period. The length of time required for the change over will be dependent on the ability of our swimmers to promptly exit the pool at the end of the session, swiftly put on towel/dry robe and shoes and leave the building without delay. 

Anyone not making every effort to abide by social distancing measures

• Will be asked to immediately leave the session
• Will not be allowed to return to training unless able to assure staff of their ability and intention to follow the guidance.

COVID SYMPTOMS / POSITIVE COVID TEST – WHAT TO DO NEXT

WCPSC GUIDANCE

If someone develops symptoms, they must remove themselves from activity and try and get a test. The other people in their group / training lane etc. do not have to start any isolation until the person returns a positive test (but should stay vigilant). The person testing positive will then enter a 10-day self-isolation period. This should also include ‘close contacts’ from the 48 hours before the person showed symptoms. If the person returns a negative test, they can resume normal activity, along with all the close contacts. A close contact is someone you are within one metre of for one minute or longer without face-to-face contact or 2m of for 15 minutes or more. In the context of a 60/90 minute session there is a likelihood that those in the same lane, even starting at opposite ends, could meet the 15 minute threshold. As such, those in the same training lane or lessons class are considered close contacts for the purposes of WCPSC’s risk assessment.

The club will also seek further information to determine if any other close contacts were generated during the 48 hours prior to symptoms developing. This could include, for example, lift shares, inadvertent discussions with coaches, lifeguards or other swimmers.

In the event of a positive test, swimmers in the same training lane or lessons class will be informed of the need to self-isolate immediately. Other swimmers in the group will be provided general information about the positive test and asked to stay vigilant for symptoms.

General Guidance

Self-isolation is when you do not leave your home because you have or might have coronavirus (COVID-19).

WHEN TO SELF-ISOLATE

Self-isolate immediately if:

• you have any symptoms of coronavirus (a high temperature, a new, continuous cough or a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste)
• you’ve tested positive for coronavirus – this means you have coronavirus
• you live with someone who has symptoms or tested positive
• someone in your support bubble has symptoms or tested positive
• you’re told to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace or the NHS COVID-19 app
• you arrive in the UK from a country with a high coronavirus risk

HOW LONG TO SELF-ISOLATE

If you have symptoms or have tested positive for coronavirus, you’ll usually need to self-isolate for at least 10 days.

You’ll usually need to self-isolate for 14 days if:

• someone you live with has symptoms or tested positive
• someone in your support bubble has symptoms or tested positive
• you’ve been told to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace

WHEN TO GET A TEST

Get a test as soon as possible if you have any symptoms of coronavirus.

The symptoms are:

• a high temperature
• a new, continuous cough
• a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste

The test needs to be done in the first 8 days of having symptoms.

All the above information can be found on the NHS website here – https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isolation-and-treatment/when-to-self-isolate-and-what-to-do/

POSITIVE TEST RESULT

A positive result means you had coronavirus when the test was done.

If your test is positive, you must self-isolate immediately.

• If you had a test because you had symptoms, keep self-isolating for at least 10 days from when your symptoms started.
• If you had a test but have not had symptoms, self-isolate for 10 days from when you had the test.
• Anyone you live with, and anyone in your support bubble, must self-isolate for 14 days from when you start self-isolating.

NEGATIVE TEST RESULT

A negative result means the test did not find coronavirus.

You do not need to self-isolate if your test is negative, as long as:

• everyone you live with who has symptoms tests negative
• everyone in your support bubble who has symptoms tests negative
• you were not told to self-isolate for 14 days by NHS Test and Trace
• you feel well – if you feel unwell, stay at home until you’re feeling better

All the above information can be found on the NHS website here – https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing-and-tracing/what-your-test-result-means/

NHS TRACK AND TRACE

• if you develop symptoms, you must continue to follow the rules to self-isolate with other members of your household and get a test to find out if you have coronavirus
• if you test positive for coronavirus, you must share information promptly and accurately about your recent contacts through NHS Test and Trace to help us alert other people who may need to self-isolate
• if you have had close recent contact with someone who has coronavirus, you must self-isolate if NHS Test and Trace advises you to do so

For more details on the NHS Test and Trace and how it works please use this link – https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-test-and-trace-how-it-works

Please read our Return to Pools Guidance here – https://www.swimming.org/swimengland/pool-return-guidance-documents/

Please read our Swim England/Institute of Swimming Coronavirus (Covid-19) FAQs here – https://www.swimming.org/swimengland/coronavirus-faqs-answered/

If you have a question that is not answered above please do email clubguidance@swimming.org

Our advice is ever changing so please keep an eye on the Return to Pools Guidance documents and the Government and NHS websites as they can be updated at any point.