Coronavirus, the new government protocol for gyms and swimming pools

Gyms and pools can remain open, even in the midst of a health emergency, but only if the anti-Covid measures provided for by the new government protocol. This was announced by the Minister of Youth Policies and Sports Spadafora, after the confrontation with the Minister of Health Speranza (who instead wanted to close the activities), and the document finally arrived.

The new government protocol for gyms and swimming pools

The Executive has long debated the opening (or closing) of gyms and swimming pools. As Giuseppe Conte himself explained at a press conference, before the approval of the Dpcm in October, the Executive debated for a long time about sport. Now, however, we seem to have come to a conclusion: a new government protocol for gyms and swimming pools in fact it was approved.

The objective is that these activities continue to function while remaining open, but respecting the anti-Covid rules and trying to prevent contagion as much as possible.

The Implementation Protocol, in fact, takes up the content of the Guidelines for basic sport and physical activity in general, issued in compliance with the May Dpcm, updating some elements based on the most recent provisions issued on the matter of containment of the effects of the pandemic, with special reference to the Dpcm of October 18, 2020.

the textin fact, it includes elements taken from the execution protocols adopted by the different sports federations and introduces, if necessary, new measures to make the rules already in force even more effective. In particular:

• In order to avoid unnecessary movements and meetings while waiting, it is mandatory for each structure to identify the maximum number of entries and consequently prohibit the entry of more customers once the maximum number has been reached;
• Structures with capacity greater than 50 people at the same time, provide reserve tools or evidence of co-presence in the structure at any time to allow users to update in real time the availability of places and the competent authorities to verify compliance with the standard.
• Determining the maximum number of people that may be present at the same time within the structure should be considered considering 12 square meters per person, considering for the calculation the square meters (interior) of the entire structure. In
  The computation of the co-presences of the direct or indirect personnel working there at that time must also be considered;
• About group activities and courses, the maximum number mentioned above is 5 square meters per participant, taking into account the size of the environment in which the activity takes place;
• Refering to activities carried out in swimming pools, a minimum space of 7 square meters per person present must be guaranteed. For pools not suitable for swimming, the regional reference regulations and those contained in the Dpcm of October 13, 2020 apply.

For the activities that must be carried out in the sports complex, it is therefore necessary:

• reorganize the same with the aim of reducing the number of sports operators (and / or companions) present at the same time;
• restrict entry to facility to a single companion in the event that the motor activity is carried out by a minor or an adult who needs accompaniment and / or assistance;
• organize a system of local sanitation and constant cleaning of them.

In addition, with respect to each sports operator, the most common routes in the same should be evaluated. time slots with special reference to: entrance to the sports complex; access to facilities / spaces for motoring / sports; access to common areas and other places; access to bathrooms. Meet with the managers / managers of the structure. responsibility to report workers and all operators of sports sites on the rules and contents of the new protocol.

Protection and prevention measures: risk assessment

Every sports organization must proceed with the Risks evaluation of your site, trying to take all the appropriate protection and prevention measures to avoid contagion. The risk assessment includes the identification of:

• methods of job performance within the sports site;
• distancing in the different phases of sports activity;
• management of entry / exit of sports operators and other issues on sports sites;
• review of layout and routes;
• symptomatic case management;
• proper hygiene practices.
• use of contagion prevention devices (surgical masks, disposable gloves in different synthetic plastic materials) when necessary;
• cleaning and sanitation of places and equipment in sports venues.

In addition, the site administrator must provide complete information for all those who intend to access it in any sporting capacity, as well as prepare evacuation plans that avoid aggregation in case of necessity and / or urgency to leave the sites or parts of them.

Hygiene practices imposed in gyms and swimming pools

As reported by the new safety protocol for gyms and swimming pools, compliance with the following must be ensured within the site hygiene requirements:

• temperature sensing to all visitors / partners / employees / companions, every day at the time of access, preventing access in case of temperatures above 37.5 ° C;
• verify at the entrance that the users of the services and their companions are equipped with a protective mask and, if not, prohibit entry;
• me children They must not be accompanied by more than one member of the family;
• making available to at least one ice dispenser disinfectant every 300 square meters (considering only the areas where physical and motor activity takes place);
• place disinfectant gel dispensers in access and transit areas;
• always keep the interpersonal distance minimum 1 meter and wear the mask at any time within the structure, with the exception of when performing physical activity on the site (the mask must also be worn during training if the client moves from one training station to the other) ;
• Maintain the minimum interpersonal distance appropriate to the intensity of the training when performing an exercise and, in any case, not less than 2 meters.

In addition, those who practice the activity have the obligation to:

• disinfect your personal belongings and not share them (water bottles, tissues, tools, etc.);
• arrive at the site already dressed appropriately to the activity that will be carried out or in such a way that the common areas are used to change and equipped with closing bags for the collection of potentially infected waste;
• don’t touch objects and fixed signals.

The protocol also invitesnever touch the eyes, nose and mouth with your hands when engaging in physical activity in a sports arena. To sneeze and / or cough into a tissue, it is also recommended to avoid hand contact with respiratory secretions. Finally, it is specified that clothing used for physical activity should not be left in places shared with others, placing it in backpacks or personal bags that, once returned home, should be washed separately from the rest of the garments.

Here is the full text of the protocol published by the Minister of Sport