COVID-19 Update - 22 October 2021

To Our Members,
 
Baseball NSW has been advocating the Office of Sport and Sport NSW for a return to competition for some time now. In the latest update from the Office of Sport, community sports competition activites are permitted effective immediately – in accordance with the Public Health Order.
 
The NSW Government has released the Public Health (COVID-19 General) Amendment Order (No 3) 2021. This amendment relates to outdoor community sport and recreation activities.
 
The amendment outlines the following changes to the maximum gathering size for outdoor community sport gatherings:

• Clause 2.12 (1) (b1) enables a COVID-19 safe outdoor public gathering for a community sporting activity to be the lesser of 1,000 persons or 1 person per 2 square metres.
• All people attending the gathering must be:
  • Fully vaccinated; or
  • under 16 years of age; or
  • have been issued with a medical contraindication certificate compliant with the Order
• The activity organiser must have a 'community sport' COVID-19 Safety Plan.

 
This amendment acknowledges the need for a larger gathering size to enable some community sport activities to recommence while taking into account the significant number of children that participate in community sport and are not yet fully vaccinated. It is anticipated this gathering limit will remain in place until at least 1 December 2021.
 
New COVID-19 Safety Plan for outdoor community sport
In line with the amendment, the Office has been advised a new COVID-19 Safety Plan for outdoor community sport has been released.
 
This plan reflects the outdoor gathering size being changed to 1,000 persons or 1 per 2 square metres and has language which better reflects the nature of community sport, including the role of volunteers.
 
Indoor recreation facilities
Under Clause 2.9 of the Order:

• Gym classes and dance classes remain capped at 20 people.
  • Masks must be worn at all times during gym and dance classes
• The maximum capacity at an indoor recreation facility is 1 person per 4 square metres.
  • There is no limit on gathering sizes within an indoor recreation facility except for gym and dance classes (noted above).
  • Masks must still be worn when not participating in exercise.

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Major recreation facilities
There have been no amendments to the major recreation facility restrictions. Under Clause 2.7 of the Order:

• The maximum capacity at a major recreation facility is the lesser of the following
  • 1 person per 4 square metres of space in the premises,
  • 5,000 persons
• Under Clause 2.18 (3), an unvaccinated child under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a fully vaccinated member of their household.

 
Travel restrictions
Travel between Greater Sydney (including the Blue Mountains, Wollongong, Shellharbour, and the Central Coast LGAs) and Regional NSW will not be permitted until 1 November, to allow people in the regions more time to receive their second vaccine.
 
Unvaccinated adults must not participate in recreation outside the local government area in which they reside.
 
Please note: The restrictions outlined in this notice are relevant to ‘the general area’, which comprises the whole of the State other than an area that is a ‘stay at home area’.
 
Integration of the COVID-19 vaccine certificate into the Service NSW app
The NSW Government has introduced the integration of the COVID-19 vaccine certificate into the Service NSW app.
 
The Department of Customer Service has produced a communications toolkit to assist organisations in communicating proof of vaccination requirements to organisations when checking in, and how to add the COVID-19 vaccination certificate into the Service NSW app.

It is the responsibility of the clubs to confirm the vaccination status of their members upon arrival to training which is viewable on the Medicare App. Clubs are not permitted to request that a member provides a hard or soft copy of their vaccination certificate.
 
Please refer to the online service: Express Plus Medicare mobile app - Services Australia and the NSW Proof of COVID-19 vaccination – What you need to know document. 

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