Dear Aqualicians,

Aqualicious has terminated all regular club activities until further notice, following from advice from Masters Swimming Australia this morning, and the announcements from the Prime Minister and Chief Medical Officer last night.

I am sorry that it has come to this, but we must all play our part in slowing the rate of transmission, thereby giving our health system the best possible chance to meet demand.

At a press conference last night, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that a variety of indoor gathering places would be closed as of midday today – being: Pubs, Clubs, Cafes, Restaurants (Takeaway and delivery services permitted), Gyms, Places of Worship, Religious gatherings, funerals, Cinemas, Indoor sporting venues, entertainment venues, and Casinos.

Masters Swimming Australia has issued the following advice at 8:24 today (full post here):

Our primary focus is to protect the health and safety of our members, coaches, technical officials, volunteers and staff. With the ongoing closure of pools across Australia to prevent the spread of the virus, it is becoming increasingly more difficult for our people to manage social distancing and maintain good hygiene while in group training.

While the sport of swimming is the livelihood of Masters Swimming Australia, the organisation strongly discourages all members from participating in ongoing group training until further notice. We have a responsibility to the community and each other to work together to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

Masters Swimming Australia Facebook Page, 8:24AM Mar 23, 2020

The advice from Centenary when I spoke to them at 10 this morning was that the pool would still be open for lap swimming only – you should check with them regularly as circumstances are changing rapidly. It is important to note the current government advice for pool users reproduced below – particularly regarding showering. It is being updated regularly and can be accessed here.

What pool users should do to remain safe at public swimming pools
Do not visit an aquatic facility if you are unwell for any reason. If you have had diarrhoea you should not use a public swimming pool for 14 days after symptoms have ended.

Users of public swimming pools should shower before entering the pool to remove impurities typically found on our bodies. In the current circumstances it is not recommended to shower on leaving the pool; this can be done on returning home. This is because the bodies of bathers will have been cleaned by their activity in the disinfected pool, whereas bathers arriving at the facility have come in off the street and could be carrying germs on their hands and bodies.

Bathers are also strongly encouraged to observe good public hygiene practices, including frequent hand washing when out of the water, after touching surfaces that others have touched and before eating. What pool users should do to remain safe at public swimming pools

Public swimming and spa pools and novel coronavirus (COVID-19), Queensland Health, Last updated March 20, 2020

Remember to follow the advice regarding hand washing and hand sanitizer (use soap and water for 20 seconds where possible), and see the Prevention advice from the Federal Health Department.

We will advise our swimmers shortly on our plans to assist with individual training while the squad is on stand-by.

I re-iterate that swimmers are strongly discouraged from participating in group training.

Stay calm, stay well
Dylan Carmichael
President