COVID Safe Return to Play 16 August 2020 1
CAQ Advice on COVID Safe Return to Play
Purpose
At all times Government regulations and guidance supersede advice in this document.
This document will help clubs and registered players to meet their obligations under the COVID Safe
Return to Play guidelines. As such it provides advice specific to Croquet in interpreting and meeting
the Government regulations.
Note that Government regulations and guidelines may continue to change, and our practices will
need to change as a result.
COVID Safe Planning
Essential for all
Not following the COVID Safe guidelines risks everybody’s health but also risks shutting down our
sport. Neither would be a good outcome for Croquet Clubs in Queensland.
Croquet Queensland is a contributor to the Outdoor Sports COVID Safe Industry Plan. That plan
provides detailed guidelines for clubs to return to play. Documents that clubs need to understand,
complete and display are as follows.
COVID Safe Return to Play 16 August 2020 2
1. COVID Safe Plan Checklist (Sport). Appendix 3 in the Outdoor Sports COVID Safe Industry
Plan.
2. COVID Safe Checklist: Seated Dining and Drinking. If serving beverages and food.
3. Statement of Compliance. Treat this document seriously. The signatory is guaranteeing
that the club understands and has implemented all the COVID safe guidelines. It should be
signed by an authorized club representative (such as the Club President).
This Statement of Compliance must be displayed prominently within the club’s premises. The
checklists are to be available for anyone to view them on request.
The signatory of the checklist and the signatory of the statement of compliance must ensure that all
training courses required have been completed. CAQ does not require a copy of course certificates.
All documents are available at www.COVID19.qld.gov.au.
Events that differ from normal club operations
Events require a checklist to be completed, specifically for that event.
For outdoor events, use the COVID Safe Plan Checklist (Sport) mentioned above.
Indoor events, since they are different at every club, require a COVID Safe Plan of their own. CAQ
COVID Advisors can provide examples on request.
Keeping records of attendees
Reference Appendix 2 in the Outdoor Sports COVID Safe Industry Plan.
A register of attendees must be kept for 56 days. It can be hard copy or electronic but has to be
produced for inspection if requested by an authorized person. Information required includes:
• Date of entry
• First and last name
• Phone number
• Email address
• Time in
• Time out
• Role (Club or team if a player; Official; Spectator)
• In the previous 14 days, have you had any COVID symptoms or travelled to a hotspot?
Note that attendees do NOT sign in. Good practice requires that one person only touches the paper
and pen. As far as possible prepare the list of attendees before the event
Attendee details do not need to be on the same sheet. For example, keep a record of attendances
at a club play day by having one person note time of arrival and departure on a pre-printed list of
club members. The club secretary can provide member details if required, so this information does
not need to be on the list of attendees.
If running a competition, then the event manager should prepare the list of players with contact
details prior to competition and simply add the answers to the COVID questions, arrival, and
departure times as they observe players arriving and departing.
Be aware of privacy concerns and do not leave personal information on public display.
COVID Safe Return to Play 16 August 2020 3
COVID Safety Officer – club and events
A COVID Safety Officer is to be designated for all events or play days at the club. For competition
events the tournament manager assumes the role but may appoint another person to carry out
those duties.
The COVID Safety Officer ensures that all COVID Safe guidelines have been met and that all
attendees follow the required procedures.
Presentations and meetings
Remain aware of the social separation and non-shared surface principles.
Presentations at the end of a tournament should be held outside if possible, laying medals or
presentation items on a table and allow the recipient to collect their award rather than handing it to
them. Do not shake hands or engage in any other social contact during awards ceremonies. Keep
social separation, especially when photographs are being taken. Do not publish any photo showing
poor COVID Safe practice.
Club meetings are best held outside as there is less risk of infection in an open environment. Any
inside activity is subject to strict social distancing guidelines.
Spectators
Have a plan for spectators that includes seating, location, and maximum numbers. Every person
attending the location must be recorded on the attendance register.
Shared surfaces and social distancing
Do not share anything where possible. Do not share pens, chairs, spoons, anything.
Do not handle another person’s handicap card. It is no longer required nor acceptable to sign the
other player’s card.
Attendance lists should be handled by one person only – no more signing in (see above).
Do not mix groups
Where the event allows, keep players in small groups and playing on the same lawn all day. For
example, where there are blocks of four in a competition, it is easy to keep each block to one lawn
and not use the traditional strategy of shifting players around so that all experience different lawns
during the day. Where there is a Championship group and a Plate group, the Championship group
plays on two lawns and the Plate group plays on the other two.
Do not share seating – if seated within the clubhouse, then each attendee should use one chair only.
The chair should be sanitized by that person at the end of the day.
Similarly, for shelters around lawns. Sanitize at the end of each day and limit usage to one player
per seat if possible. If not possible during play, ensure seats are sanitized at the end of play.
During play
The COVID Safe return to play allows for guidelines to be relaxed during play and on the field if it is
necessary to do so as part of the game. Examples include referees having to stand closer than 1.5m
to adjudicate and players contacting shared surfaces such as balls and hoops. Players and referees
are to be observant and keep these events to the minimum required to play the game.
Any surface touched by a player must be sanitized at the end of game.
COVID Safe Return to Play 16 August 2020 4
Referees have a health and safety obligation so should be aware of requirements and remind players
and spectators if they observe infractions of the guidelines.
Personal Hygiene
Everybody should wash or sanitize their hands regularly. If in doubt do not touch and then sanitize
anyway.
Keep social distancing.
Do not shake hands nor offer any warmer sort of greeting or comfort.
Communication
Tell those attending what is required on one A4 page or less. Every club will be different but CAQ
COVID Advisors can provide samples on request.
It is imperative that club members and players understand what is required of them. Clubs and
event managers should keep advice on requirements as short and simple as possible. Those
managing events need the detail, but everybody else should get their information on the single A4
page.
For example, when running a CAQ event clubs have issued a single sheet A4 in easy to read print to
competitors, describing the requirements on the day.
Food and drink
If any food or drink is available within the clubhouse the food and beverage checklist referred to
above must be completed. Food preparation must follow the guidelines and be limited to one or
two people. Kitchen staff must have completed the food and beverage training course available
online (details below).
Strictly no buffet. This means no plate of cake slices, biscuits, or sandwiches. Everything must be
served on individual single use plates with single use cutlery. Kitchen staff can prepare individual
servings provided they follow food preparation guidelines.
Since no club has a commercial dishwasher then anything used outside the kitchen must be single
use (cutlery, cups, and plates). Inside the kitchen, food can be prepared using normal kitchen
equipment and washed by hand or by dishwasher.
A tea and coffee station is possible but ensure
• Everyone approaching the station sanitizes hands first (requires dispenser at that site),
• all utensils (spoons and cups) are single use,
• tea bags are placed spread on a plate (by gloved kitchen hand) to avoid sharing contact,
• coffee is by a single serve packet or is taken by new spoon from a covered bowl, and
• milk is be poured from a common use jug which is sanitized at least every 60 minutes.
Water
Access to a tap or water dispenser to fill water bottles is allowed but encourage BYO water bottle to
limit tap use.
Secure water bubblers so they cannot be used.
Consider making bottled water available.
COVID Safe Return to Play 16 August 2020 5
Training
The following training courses are available to everyone online and free. Each one takes
approximately 30 minutes to complete.
1. Infection Control Training - COVID 19
a. Club and event COVID Safety Officers, tournament and event managers, referees and CAQ
Directors are required to complete this course. It is recommended that all registered players
complete this course.
b. Available at Australian Department of Health https://www.health.gov.au/resources/appsand-tools/covid-19-infection-control-training
2. AQIA “Return to play – COVID safety officer training”.
a. Anyone signing the certificate of compliance, using the checklists as part of return to play
plans or organizing an event must complete this course.
b. Available at https://www.aqia.org.au/covidsafety/.
3. COVID SAFE Work Training for Dining In.
a. Anyone involved in food or beverage provision at a venue must complete this course.
b. Available at https://go.tafeqld.edu.au/covid-safe.html.
CAQ COVID Advisors
COVID Advisors are appointed by CAQ Management Committee.
On all matters regarding COVID Safe Return to Play in Queensland the COVID Advisors will
1. Advise and assist clubs on COVID Safe procedures,
2. Advise CAQ Management Committee and Directors on COVID Safe procedures,
3. Maintain knowledge on Government guidelines as they change with time,
4. Advise CAQ Management Committee on compliance issues and observed noncompliance
(low grade and critical) if they arise,
5. Act as point of contact with external bodies, and
6. Maintain this document, recommending changes required to Management Committee.
Direct enquiries and requests for assistance to one of the CAQ COVID Advisors.