COVID-19 Update – October 1, 2020
As everyone is aware; we have seen significant increases in the number of Covid-19 cases in the Province in the past few weeks, with the anticipation they will continue to rise.
We applaud the dedication of our coaches and administrators who handled our 5 positive cases and 2 negative cases with such care and caution for the safety of all.
Government and the medical experts continue to look at rolling back certain sectors to Phase 2 standards or simply reducing the gathering numbers as they did on September 18th and 19th.
The most recent legislation does state the reduced gathering numbers do not apply to sports fields or “Organized” sporting events that follow the mandated Return to Play, masking, and social distancing requirements.
The key word in the statement is “Organized”. For Softball that would cover any event/activity that is sanctioned by the Provincial Sport Organization (P.W.S.A.). This would not include a “pick-up game” organized by 2 coaches.
Beginning today October 1, 2020, P.W.S.A. will not be sanctioning any games until further notice but will sanction practice or inter-squad scrimmage on an Association by Association basis with the following in mind:
The teams must have a valid outdoor facility permit, valid insurance and will be allowed to practice, or hold inter-squad scrimmages, with a maximum of 25 persons inclusive of players, coaches, spectators, umpires, safety officers etc. These teams will be restricted to 10 persons in an indoor training facility.
Regards to fall/winter indoor training we have been advised that anyone planning on training indoors will need to submit their association’s plan which must meet the minimum standard of the P.W.S.A. Return to Play document, it must outline your plan i.e. which team will be where, when, and on what dates and for which specific time slots. Include who will be in each of your cohorts with total numbers. The submission will require the return to open and/or safety protocols for the facility you will be using. If using multiple facilities, then one for each will be required. These will be submitted for approval prior to 3rd party insurance or PSO approval. We have been advised you should not plan for indoor training at all in October as these processes will take time. Please send your plan to info@pwsaontario.com
Indoor, outdoor facilities cannot be combined.
The updated Mandatory Return to Play protocols document will remain in place until further notice.
We are being advised that due to the continuing pandemic, to plan for a 2021 season with pods and/or cohorts although the hope is the allowable numbers for each pod will be 250 players and 250 spectators. We will all need to look at these parameters when we plan 2021 tournament play.
P.W.S.A. will not be permitted to issue any travel permits until at least January 2021.
We do appreciate that other organizations will be operating under different parameters, but our goal is continue to have softball allowed on the field and with the safety of all at the forefront and to protect all members inclusive of the coaches and associations from potential liability.
The health and safety of our Members has been, and will continue to be, our highest priority.
We thank everyone for their support during these challenging times.
