UPDATED MARCH 25, 2019
Yesterday the IOC and Tokyo 2020 made the official announcement that the Games would now be postponed to 2021 which will allow athletes to have some certainty and reduce their training.
- All Canadians should stay at home, work from home, and exercise at home to the extent this is possible. The actual regulations may be different from Province to Province but the essential principle is the same.
- Maintain a distance of 2 metres from other people.
- There is a preferred hierarchy for handling coughs and sneezes.
- Best practice is to expel respiratory droplets into disposable tissue, dispose of it safely, then immediately wash or sanitize hands.
- Expelling respiratory droplets onto a flexed elbow is better than no protection or an unprotected hand but it is non-optimal, as virus then remains on either the clothing or skin of the elbow depending on attire, either of which then need to be washed.
- For protection of others – assume you are infected and behave as such.
- For your protection – assume all others are infected and behave as such.
- All Canadians are being urged to stay at home where at all possible.
- All non-essential travel outside Canada is to be avoided, the US border is closed to non-essential traffic. All Canadians currently abroad are urged to return to Canada ASAP.
- All travellers returning from any destination outside of Canada are required to self-isolate for 14 days from the date of return (see the infographic below for specific information on what is involved in self-isolation).
- All non-essential travel outside Canada is to be avoided, the US border is closed to non-essential traffic.
- All Canadians currently abroad are urged to return to Canada ASAP.
- All travellers returning from any destination outside of Canada are required to self-isolate for 14 days from the date of return (see the infographic below for specific information on what is involved in self-isolation).
- As the possibility of coming in contact with someone with confirmed COVID 19 increases, we have included this link from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) on self monitoring and isolation.
- If you have symptoms (fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat) when attempting to board a plane to return to Canada you will not be allowed on the flight.
- Airlines are reducing capacity and flights (e.g. – Air Canada is operating at 50% of normal capacity), such that it may be difficult to return to Canada later.
- As of 18 March, international arrivals by air (excluding USA, Caribbean, and Mexico) will only be through Toronto, Montreal, Calgary or Vancouver.
- There is enhanced screening and advice on self-isolation at all airports (see the infographic below).
UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SELF-MONITORING, SELF ISOLATION & ISOLATION
UPDATE MARCH 18, 2020
Sport Canada’s link to COVID-19: Note this will be updated daily.
English: https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/funding/information-covid-19.html
French: https://www.canada.ca/fr/patrimoine-canadien/services/financement/informations-covid-19.html
UPDATE MARCH 14, 2020
Field Hockey Canada continues to monitor the situation with COVID-19. Yesterday a steering committee was put in place to oversee FHC’s response and to ensure the best course of action is taken for our athletes and our community, both for the immediate and longer-term future. As of today, March 14, 2020, all Field Hockey Canada national teams will cease group training activities. This applies to all activity, including gym, on-field and other group sessions, inclusive of senior, junior, masters and both the indoor and outdoor programs. This cessation will be in effect until March 31 2020 at the earliest.
Our advice is clear: follow government advisories and the links provided in our email updates and on our website. The latest advice is that athletes who are abroad are strongly urged to return home. For those returning from overseas, follow the self-isolation guidelines:
https://files.constantcontact.com/028b6ad2201/f94ade8f-a833-43c9-b3a1-679522a50a82.pdf.
It is clear that the timelines are a challenge. Not even the experts know precisely what the timelines will be. FHC will continue to monitor and plan for all eventualities, including delays to our planned domestic and international events.
If anyone within our community does test positive, the professional advice is to follow the protocol of the Provincial Health Officer.
The steering committee will continue to monitor this rapidly changing situation. Further information and updates will be made available immediately upon receipt. All updates, links and information can be found on this page.
Follow the preventative guidelines to look after yourself, your family and our collective community.
UPDATE MARCH 13, 2020
With the general safety of our athletes, coaches, staff and community members in mind, the Field Hockey Canada office has been monitoring the developing COVID-19 (coronavirus) situation. Having consulted widely, Field Hockey Canada has taken the difficult decision to ground all our national teams from international travel and competition at this time. We are also postponing the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony scheduled for March 28th. This will now be re-scheduled for later in the year.
We are working with the Canadian Olympic Committee and responding to recommendations made by the Canadian Government’s centre for diseases and conditions. The situation is constantly developing and Field Hockey Canada will be updating athletes and staff to any changes as guided by the government’s recommendations.
General Information
COVID-19 is a virus in the coronavirus family. Coronaviruses in this family are responsible for illnesses that range from the common cold to more serious illnesses such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV) and Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV). COVID-19 is a new virus and so health officials are still learning about its impact and severity. At this time, it appears to cause an illness similar to the flu with the most common signs of infection being fever, cough and shortness of breath. In severe cases patients can develop pneumonia, severe respiratory distress, kidney failure and death.
Prevention
Recommendations for protecting yourself and preventing spread of this illness include frequent hand washing and covering both your nose and mouth when coughing. Try to cough or sneeze into your arm, away from others, or into tissue paper (to be disposed in toilet). Wash your hands immediately afterwards. You should avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness.
What to do if you think you have COVID-19
Because the early symptoms of COVID-19 are similar to other respiratory illnesses, if you have any of the common symptoms (fever, cough and shortness of breath) you should contact your doctor’s office and arrange to have a consultation.
For more information please visit the Government of Canada’s website covering COVID-19 and other diseases and conditions.
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to us via our Staff & Contact page.
RESOURCES
Please consult the following link from the Public Health Agency of Canada, which provides the current situation for the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak including risk to Canadians. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection.html
Travel to China has been identified as a level 3, which is to avoid non-essential travel in order to protect the health of Canadian travellers and the Canadian public. Additional precautions can be found in the link provided. https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/health-safety/travel-health-notices/210
If travel has occurred, you may consult the following trilingual information sheet for travellers returning to Canada, which is one of the resources on Canada.ca/coronavirus available for download. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/2019-novel-coronavirus-information-sheet.html
For upcoming events, consult the Travel Advice and Advisories site for destination-specific travel information. They provide important advice to help you make informed decisions regarding travel. https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories
Should you wish to seek further advice specific to hosting an international sport event where international teams are coming to Canada, or for Canadian teams travelling to compete internationally you may contact:
COVID-19 Information, PHAC
Tel: 1-833-784-4397
Email: phac.info.aspc@canada.ca
Special Events Unit, IRCC
Email: Special.Events@cic.gc.ca
