Outdoor and Professional Sports പ്രൊഫഷണൽ സ്പോർട്സ്

عربي

Menu Joy

AIM

To provide guidance on how best to facilitate a safe resumption of professional sports competitions and events with international participation, and at the same time have effective measures in place to protect the health of participating athletes, staff and supporting personnel by reducing the risk of COVID-19 transmission during the hotel, accommodation, transportation, preparations, and management of the event itself.
The activities in Phase 4 will be allowed for local events only-(for residents of Qatar). International events will be added after further review of COVID-19 transmission rates. The following guidance is applicable for both national and international events.)

INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPANTS / ATHLETES: ARRIVAL AND ACCOMMODATION

Quarantine on arrival:

All international participants (including permanent accompanying support staff that need to accompany the delegates such as bus drivers and others) are required to enter hotel quarantine before participation in the event as per the country’s regulations.
They are only allowed to leave their hotel quarantine to participate in preparation of the event sites and to participate at the actual official event as per their schedule. Further arrangement to leave the hotel needs to be coordinated and approved with the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) Chief Medical Officer who should to be appointed for every event from the Ministry of Public Health and local organizing committee.
All international athletes/participants need to arrive at the quarantine hotel at least 4-7 days before the start of their first participation.
International participants and organizers are strongly recommended to stay in hotels exclusively, allowing no other non-event hotel guests.
External visitors are strictly prohibited from entering the quarantine hotels.
Ensure capacity at the hotel to isolate suspected cases separately. Participants at hotels who are suspected to have Covid-19 should be isolated and reported to the Public Health Dept.

COVID-19 Testing:

International participants (including officials) should be tested negative for COVID-19 disease within 48 hours before entering the country.
The PCR test certificates need to be issued by hospitals/clinics in the country of origin that are endorsed by MOPH.
Upon arrival in Qatar, a COVID - 19 PCR test will be done at the airport. A negative test result will be required for the delegate to allow the delegate to continue with the intended activity.
Swabbing for the test should happen for the organizers and delegates preferably with the attendance of a representative from event administrator, or a companion.
Subsequent swabbing for COVID-19 PCR testing will be undertaken from all participants every 3 days till end of the individual or delegation participation in the event.
Delegation medical staff when applicable, or Local Organizing Committee (LOC) staff at event venues, should check delegates temperatures each day, any temperatures above 37.8°C should be reported to the event medical lead/chief medical officer.

On arrival to the quarantine hotel:

The athletes and officials will undergo thermal scanning and could be interviewed for possible symptoms and signs of COVID-19 disease.
If the participant is found to be symptomatic (fever, cough, flu-like illness… etc.) he/she will be referred to a designated hospital for further assessment and management accordingly.
COVID-19 positive delegates who are actively infected will not be allowed to participate.
Refusal of COVID-19 PCR testing will result in dismissal from participation in the event.

If participants are transported by bus:

Masks to be worn by all.
Participants should be transported in small groups to avoid spread of infection maintaining the 1.5 meters distance all the time (maximum 50% capacity using alternate seats).

Meals and Restaurants:

Preferably, meals should not be served during an event or be kept at minimum e.g. boxed meals.
Meals, if served, should be in accordance with MOPH guidelines for Restaurants with maintaining the 2 meters distance between dining tables and as per the rules below under “Food Outlets”.
No shared platters or utensils and no buffet.
Bottled water only.

Use of Health Clubs, Gyms and Spas for training:

The delegate may use the gym and other recreational areas at the hotel of accommodation in line with MOPH guidelines for Health Clubs, Gyms and Spas.
Customers not staying in the hotel should not be sharing the same gym, clubs of spas where the delegates are staying.
Ensure availability of rubber gloves to team staff and volunteers handling laundry, towels, etc.
Make tissues and containers to dispose of used tissues with lids available on all buses and in all facility where the activity is taking place.
Ensure the wide availability of hand sanitizers at the hotel and at the event venue.

ATHLETE/ PARTICIPANT EVENT TRAINING AT THE VENUE

During Event Training:

All participants should wear face masks all the time while at the activity venue (except when training and competing)
The participants will be arriving to the venue for training in buses, the players should be transported in small groups to avoid spread of infection (maximum of 25 in 50 passenger capacity bus, maintaining 1.5m physical distance front, side and behind).
Once the participants reach the venue, intermingling with other people should be avoided
Avoid shaking hands, or hugging or kissing others
The 1.5 meters in the players changing room need to be maintained.
Participants are advised, while talking to the other players / staff/event organizers to maintain a distance of 1.5 meters.
Sanitizers should be made available throughout the training and competition venues and should be used frequently.
Each Event organizing team should have a non-contact thermometer (e.g. infrared) to screen staff and delegates temperature check on arrival.
Players should use their own drinking bottles and not share with others.
Spitting should be avoided on the field of play.

Additional measures during the event:

Team medical staff or LOC members at venues should check competitors’ temperatures each day, any temperatures above 37.8°C should be reported to the event medical lead/chief medical officer.
Provide each participant with a clean water bottle. Good team hygiene includes ensuring all players, officials and staff have their own water bottles to prevent the transmission of viruses and bacteria.
Wash hands often with soap and water. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water is not available. Hand sanitizer stations should be available throughout the event venue, the accommodation, and on team buses.
Gloves should be worn by team and event staff handling towels or laundry in the team environment.
Towels should not be shared.
Athletes should not share clothing, bar soap or other personal items.
Make tissues and containers to dispose of used tissues with lids available on all buses and in all facility changing rooms.
Provide each team with a thermometer (e.g. infrared) and a recording sheet/internet link for athletes’ temperatures. If this is not possible, each team can be equipped with a non-contact sensor thermometer.
Anyone due to participate in the event who has fever or is feeling ill should not come to the venue and be advised to go home and contact 16000 for advice.
It is the responsibility of the organizer to appoint/assign staff/volunteers to monitor the compliance of participants with the preventive measures.
Option for participants to buy entry tickets online rather than in person to avoid crowding at entrance.
Provide hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol at entrances, exists, elevators, escalators, throughout the exhibition floor and other areas with commonly touched surfaces.
Washroom capacity should allow for distancing between guests. For example, consider closing alternate sinks or urinals.
Thoroughly sanitize each table after attendees leave.
Washroom sanitation and supervision should be enhanced.
Enhance cleaning and disinfection of high-touch surfaces such as elevator buttons, railings, door handles, public seating, payment devices, microphones, podiums etc.
Event staff and volunteers should perform hand hygiene frequently.
Stagger loading schedules during setup and cleanup to enable distancing of staff, volunteers and vendors at loading docks and entryways.
Implement elevator use protocols, if applicable, to enable physical distancing.
Consider how emergency response plans may need to be modified to accommodate physical distancing.
If background music is provided within a venue, the volume should be kept to a minimum in order to facilitate conversations between vendors and attendees. Loud music may increase the need for participants to lean in closer to each other and/or raise their voices.

VENUE AND EVENT PREPARATION

Spectators:

Arrange ticket allocations are limited to 20% of capacity of the venue based on 9m2 per person, including staff/participants/officials/volunteers, and support staff.
allocate seating to ensure 1.5m physical distance between spectators in front, behind, and diagonally.
Use floor marking to ensure 1.5m physical distancing in queuing and public areas.
Stagger spectator arrival times at venue where possible to reduce crowding.
Each Event organizing team should have a non-contact thermometer (e.g. infrared) and a recording sheet or tool for staff and delegates temperature check on arrival.
Anyone due to attend the event who is feeling ill should not come to the venue.
Team staff and volunteer leads should ensure that their teams and volunteers are briefed on the protocols for a suspect and confirmed patients, on infection prevention and control measures and on where to find more information.

Preparing Athlete Support Packs:

Provide individual COVID-19 prevention packages for the organizing team and athletes, containing:

Small personal packages of disposable tissues and plastic bags for tissue disposal.
Small laminated prevention card with key reporting information.
Medical/cloth mask to wear.
Small packages of an alcohol-based hand wipes or hand sanitizer.
Small package of disposable plastic drinking cups.

REGULATING ENTRY TO THE EVENT

Final decision or change of the decision of public attendance is at the sole discretion of the MOPH and relevant authorities, based on the local epidemic status. The health authorities might decide based on the level of spread of infection in the community, to implement further restrictions on entry to the event.

Where spectators are permitted:

Reducing Transmission:

Masks to be worn by all staff and participants, at all times.
On arrival Check EHTERAZ App is downloaded for all participants who are 18 and above, check that the status is green to allow entry for all staff, organizers, delegates and public.
Thermal screening for employees, participants, and public, and entry only allowed for those of 37.8 degrees or less.
Capacity restricted to 20% indoor and 30% outdoors of total stadia/venue capacity (maintaining minimum 1.5 m physical distance in all directions; sideways, up and down and diagonally).
Pre-Numbered seating is desirable for ease of contact tracing if needed whenever applicable and possible. Where relevant, members of the same household can sit together, but with the same 1.5m distance from others in all directions.
Pre-booking and online purchasing of tickets is preferred over walk-in, allotted and planned seating where applicable is strongly recommended.
Staggered and timed arrival for delegates and public to avoid queuing and crowding.
Gates to open early to avoid crowding.

FOOD OUTLETS

Shops at venue precincts outside the event building is allowed according to mandatory compliance with MOPH guidelines for restaurants.
No food concessions inside the event building including conference halls, exhibition halls and stadia is allowed (masks to be worn at all times).
No food to be consumed inside the public seating areas, take-away food and drinks only allowed outside seating areas outdoor.
Food outlets restricted to take away in disposable packaging
Queues to comply with the minimum of 1.5m physical distancing precautions – mark floor to ensure compliance, and provide staff or volunteers to ensure public compliance
Pre-prepared, grab and go food preferred to shorten waiting time for customers
No buffet food served in the event venues.
Bottled water only

INFECTION, PREVENTION, AND CONTROL

Regular testing of participants/staff as per MoPH guidance (event organizers may be asked to organize and fund the tests)
Hand washing and/or hand sanitizers at multiple locations in the event facility and accommodation. Provide disposable hand towels/tissues. No air dryers. Alcohol sanitizers should be easily accessible and should be spread throughout the venue.
Where appropriate, eliminate or reduce the number of items at the event that will be handled by multiple people.
Ensure good hygiene signage across all venues, changing rooms, training facilities, etc.
Ensure adequate ventilation which allows for fresh air.
Avoid physical contact e.g. hugging, handshakes etc.
Frequent cleaning and disinfection of regularly touched surfaces mandatory.
Adhere to MoPH Environmental Cleaning Guidance.
Toilet capacity restricted to 30%, with cleaning and disinfection between customers.
No spitting, no cheering, no live choir and no live singing.
An isolation room/space identified to hold any symptomatic person found at the venue while awaiting patient transport to a medical facility is necessary.
Availability of a medical post and designated personnel on site to help assess cases and potential other illness and injuries.
Recommend that towels are for single use only and should not be shared.
Sort used linen with proper PPE precautions (face mask, gloves).
Cleaning and disinfection of sports equipment before and after use is mandatory
Lockers should be cleaned and disinfected each day.
Gym Floor Precautions: Ensure compliance with the MOPH Healthclub, Gyms and Spa Guidance.
Swimming pool Precautions: Ensure compliance with the MOPH Swimming Pools and Aquasports guidance
Barriers, signs, floor markings and verbal announcements can be used to support physical distancing.

Contact Sports: For close contact sports (e.g. wrestling, Boxing, Marshal Arts) the following precautions are mandatory:

COVID-19 test with negative result required before competition.
Temperature screening before each participation
Hand sanitizer used before each participation.
Mask worn directly before and after each bout of competition.
Training mat to be cleaned and disinfected between uses.

TICKET MANAGEMENT

Ensure tickets are electronic and scannable, avoid paper tickets if possible.
Avoid handling cash at ticket counters and use digital ticketing and purchase.
Encourage tickets purchased online prior to attendance to reduce queuing at entrances.

EDUCATION AND AWARENESS

Develop and make available risk communication on:

All staff understand the importance of COVID measures, and what they are.
Ensure good hygiene signage across all venues, changing rooms, training facilities, etc.
All delegates are provided with information to keep themselves and others safe from COVID-19 transmission.
Clinical features of COVID-19 and preventive measures, especially respiratory etiquette and hand-hygiene practices.
The criteria for asking individuals with symptoms to leave the venue or retreat to a designated area.
Information on minimum 1.5m physical distancing.
Information on the use of face coverings and medical masks.
The meaning and practical implications of quarantine, self-isolation and self-monitoring in the context of the event, e.g. not attending.

VULNERABLE GROUPS

Vulnerable groups are advised not to attend the event.
Consider options for virtual attendance for individuals who are at increased risk for more serious illness if contracting COVID-19, such as the elderly or people who have pre-existing health conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, COPD, cancer, dementia, stroke, liver cirrhosis, cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney disease, and immunodeficiencies.

RESTRICTIONS TO REMAIN

Capacity of arenas/stadia will be reviewed and updated for indoor/outdoor events according to national and international pandemic status.

COVID-19 Services Assistant خدمة المساعدة الخاصة بكوفيد-19