This policy has been formulated by the Shepherds Park Squash Club committee following release of the COVID Protection Framework by the NZ government. It encompasses all areas of the Shepherds Park Squash Club premises and is applicable to members, members guests, independent contractors, visiting players from other Clubs and other visitors aged over 12 years and 3 months. Entry by these individuals will be conditional on:
Verification of your vaccination status via My Vaccine Pass with the NZ Verifier App, either electronic or paper copy.
Agreeing to the club keeping details of the pass on either the relevant Members’ profile in i-squash, or other non-member record as appropriate. Please note that no personal information will be stored aside from the validity and expiry date of the vaccine Pass.
All memberships will be suspended in I Squash until evidence of a vaccine pass is provided. No pay to play bookings will be permitted until traffic light levels permit and the committee are able to manage this option within the above parameters. The safety of our membership is our key concern and, as Shepherds Park Squash Club does not have any on site staff, ad hoc verification of vaccine Passes is not possible.
Given the evolving nature of COVID-19 and the Governments’ responses and policies towards managing the pandemic the committee will keep this policy under review and update it as required.
This policy comes into effect on 30 November 2021
I certify that the above Policy was approved by the Shepherds Park Squash Club Committee at a meeting held on 28th November 2021. The full policy, risk assessment and FAQ’s are available via the club website.
Paul Cornish President
Shepherds Park Squash Club
The Delta variant of COVID-19 has proved to be a game changer and carries significantly higher risks of transmission than previous strains of the virus. The Government has repeatedly emphasised the importance of vaccinations – to protect individuals and to give the country more possibilities in managing the virus. Vaccination is widely considered critical to protecting people’s health and safety, by reducing the risk of transmission and minimising the clinical impacts of COVID-19 infection.
Under current legislative settings, all organisations can require visitors to their facilities, and/or participants in activities that they run, to have a valid My Vaccine Pass as a condition of entry, subject to having undertaken a risk assessment to inform a final policy decision.
This policy sets out Shepherds Park Squash Club’s COVID-19 requirements as they apply to contractors, members and volunteers*. It is designed to keep our people safe and is aligned to the Government’s objective of minimising the impacts of the COVID-19 global pandemic and protecting the communities of Aotearoa New Zealand.
* including coaches, officials, managers, athletes and parents
At Shepherds Park Squash Club, we encourage and support our members being vaccinated against COVID-19, so that we can reduce the risk of exposure and transmission of COVID-19. It is important that we provide you with a safe environment in which you can play squash. A safe community is a COVID-19 free community, and currently the best protection against spreading COVID-19 is vaccination. We recognise that COVID-19 poses a very real and serious risk to the safety of our employees, members and volunteers, and in accordance with our health and safety obligations, we are required to take reasonably practicable steps to put in place control measures to manage and minimise (or eliminate) any such risk.
From 11.59pm on Thursday December 2nd, only those people who have provided evidence of holding a valid My Vaccine Pass will be able to access Shepherds Park Squash Club facilities & activities.
As a result of the risk assessment undertaken by Shepherds Park Squash Club, committee members and contractors who perform certain roles will be required to have a current and valid vaccine pass.
Shepherds Park Squash Club will require proof via the NZ Verifier App prior to entry to Shepherds Park Squash Club’s facility and activities.
In addition to this policy, Shepherds Park Squash Club will maintain a range of appropriate and complementary measures in its facilities / activities to further minimise the risks associated with COVID-19, as well as following all guidance set out in the legislation and public health guidance.
The conditions of entry before coming to the facility or taking part in activities include:
Stay home if unwell
You must have produced evidence that you are fully vaccinated to gain access to our club
You must wear a mask at all times except when playing squash
Wash or sanitise hands before entering the facility/activities and when moving through different areas
Scan your QR code every time you enter the facility
You must abide by any distancing requirements that apply when not on court (e.g. 1m at Red level)
The COVID-19 health questions that will need to be answered include:
You do not have any symptoms associated with COVID-19 (e.g. fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, sneezing/runny nose or loss of sense of smell)
You are fully vaccinated against COVID-19
You do not have COVID-19 nor are you awaiting the results from being tested for COVID-19
You have not been in contact with any known or suspected cases of COVID-19 in the past 14 days
You have not returned, or been in contact with anyone else who has returned, from overseas in the past 14 days
Shepherds Park Squash Club acknowledges that best practice in the minimisation and mitigation of the impacts of COVID-19 is evolving rapidly (e.g. the potential introduction of rapid antigen testing). Given this, Shepherds Park Squash Club confirms to its members its intention to work in good faith, as new information and recommendations come to hand, and to do its utmost to introduce the latest and complementary measures to further minimise risks.
Shepherds Park Squash Club notes that this policy is based upon the information currently available from Government and is subject to change as we learn and understand more about how New Zealand manages the fight against COVID-19 in our communities and workplaces. In addition, the Government may mandate that Shepherds Park Squash Club take certain steps. This policy may be revoked, amended or replaced at Shepherds Park Squash Club’s sole discretion on reasonable notice in the circumstances at that time.
This policy will be closely monitored by club manager, Paul Cornish. The squash club committee, led by Paul Cornish, will take responsibility for managing the COVID-19 safety plan and reviewing and updating this policy and risk assessment as needed in consultation with the Shepherds Park Squash Club Committee.