TBN Policy for Cycling and

Preventing the Spread of COVID-19

March 2, 2021

Prior to organizing or participating in TBN Official Organized Rides or Events, you must read this policy and agree to a release of liability acknowledging that you have read and understand this policy. All participants in official TBN club activities will be required to register in advance for the event - including the event organizer, ride/event leaders and other attending volunteers - and acknowledge that they have read and understand this policy. Note that while the title of the policy mentions “Cycling” specifically, this policy applies to all TBN club events; any details specific to a particular type of activity will be highlighted.

PART 1:

FOR PROGRAM COORDINATORS, RIDE and EVENT LEADERS

AND ALL OTHER PARTICIPANTING MEMBERS

_______________________________________________________________________________

PARTICIPATE IN GOOD HEALTH

If you are displaying any symptoms related to COVID-19 you should not be participating in any activities. Consult your appropriate medical professional or Telehealth Ontario.

Telehealth Ontario: 1-866-797-0000
Ontario Government COVID-19 website

https://covid-19.ontario.ca/

Do not participate in any group activities if you or any of the other group participants:

· Have been in contact with someone who is a confirmed or presumptive case of COVID-19 within the last 14 days.

· Exhibit any COVID-19 symptoms, including:

a. Fever

b. Cough

c. Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath

d. Chills

e. Sore throat or difficulty swallowing

f. Lost sense of taste or smell

g. Muscle aches

h. Extreme tiredness

i. Any other symptoms as identified by health experts and the Ontario Government

https://www.ontario.ca/page/covid-19-stop-spread#section-0

Consider not participating if you are considered vulnerable or at higher risk (elderly individuals, immunocompromised persons, individuals suffering from health problems including, but not limited to asthma, chronic bronchitis and other lung diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc.).

PROTECT YOUR GOOD HEALTH AND THE HEALTH OF OTHERS

All participants in club activities should follow Ontario Government, Ontario Public Health, and local public health unit recommendations including:

· Practice safe physical distancing at all times possible between yourself and another individual).

· Bring a mask or other protective face covering and wear it when physical distancing cannot be maintained (such as at ride/event starts, stops and at the end of the event).

· Bring an alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing over 60% alcohol to each event.

o Use hand sanitizer or wash your hands frequently following the recommended guidelines of a minimum of 20 seconds (it is the single most effective way of reducing the spread of viruses).

· Do not touch your face/eyes/mouth with your hands.

· Do not spit during a group cycling event. If necessary during a ride, move to the back of the cycling group and do so when completely clear of all other people.

· Practice proper etiquette by covering your mouth and nose with your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing, and washing/sanitizing your hands as soon as possible after.

· Members should only use their own water bottles; do not share equipment, including pumps and tools; avoid touching anything that is not their own to prevent the transmission of viruses and bacteria.

· Ensure you’re aware and following the latest requirements and guidelines of medical experts and provincial and local government authorities.

o Ontario Government (https://covid-19.ontario.ca/)

· Limit your group activities to the group sizes that are currently embodied in the registration limit for the event, and which reflect the lower of:

o The limit set for outdoor events by the Public Health authority for the City of Toronto

o The limit set for outdoor events by the Public Health authority where the event takes place (for events occurring outside of Toronto), and

o The limit set by the TBN Program Coordinator for the event based upon the comfort level of the Program Coordinator and/or Event Leader.

· Do not merge with other individuals or groups outside of the event group, which might bring the number above the above limit, at the start of the event, lunch breaks, and the end of the event.

· Following the event, should you develop symptoms of COVID-19, seek testing as soon as possible and notify the event leader and president@tbn.ca immediately so the club can support any necessary contact tracing.

BE PREPARED TO ATTEND A TBN EVENT OR GROUP RIDE

Only adults, 18 years or older, will be allowed to attend TBN events. Non-Members of TBN will not be allowed to attend events during the time this policy is in effect.

CHECKLIST TO PREPARE FOR A TBN EVENT

Ö You must register to attend the TBN event at tbn.ca or by using the Wild Apricot App on your mobile device.

Ö As part of the registration process you must acknowledge that you have read, understood and agreed to the waiver TBN ACKNOWLEGEMENT, RELEASE, INDEMINITY AND ASSUMPTION OF RISK REGARDING COVID-19.

Ö Immediately after registration, you will receive an email that acknowledges that you have registered , read and understand this policy and that you have agreed to the waiver.

Ö Bring your own copy of the route map – there will not be printed material of any kind distributed at the event.

Ö Make sure you have enough snacks/liquid with you to ensure you have access to food and water during your ride/event in case food and access to water is limited.

Ö You must bring a mask, hand sanitizer and/or some disinfecting wipes in case of emergency or repair.

Ö For cycling events, ensure you are aware of the basic bike maintenance necessities and equipped with the appropriate tools prior to attending your activity, and confirm that your bike is in good working order prior to attending any activity.

Ö Bring a fully charged cell phone with you in case of emergencies.

Ö Let your Emergency Contact know the route/time frame of your activity.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

PART 2:

FOR PROGRAM COORDINATORS, RIDE/EVENT LEADERS, EVENT ORGANIZERS and ALL OTHERS WHO ARE SUPPORTING THE EVENT AS VOLUNTEERS

PREPARING FOR YOUR TBN EVENT OR RIDE

· Ensure ALL planned activities meet the most recent guidelines and recommendations of medical experts and the provincial and local government authorities, including:

o preventative health practices

o group size limits

· Confirm if there are any restrictions, limitations, or further regulations for the location where you are riding or where your event takes place.

· If your activity takes place at a private facility, follow all requirements of the facility, this document, as well as government regulations that might affect the operations of your event.

· Register to attend the event and ensure that all other volunteers also register and complete the waiver.

o Please note that all leaders, volunteers and others attending the event must also register, complete the waiver, and will be counted in the maximum number allowed for attendance.

· In order to ensure that TBN does not exceed the government-mandated group size limit and still allow for multiple routes on the same event, program coordinators have two options:

Option 1: Plan each route as a separate event with separating start times by at least 15 minutes. Participants must register for the event they plan to attend. Should attendees change their minds at the last moment you will need to keep a record for contact tracing purposes and ensure that the maximum group size is not exceeded.

Option 2: Consider the event that has multiple routes as one event, with one start time keeping the maximum total number attending at the current allowed maximum, regardless of which route any particular participant is taking.

· Please note that TBN event leaders and organizers should not distribute printed material of any kind; Participants are required to print their own maps or to use their electronic devices. An additional reminder of this may be needed in the event description.

AT THE START OF THE EVENT

Confirming Eligibility for Participation

· Identify registrants by membership card, and cross-reference against the list of registrants, which you will need to bring with you.

· All participants will receive an electronic copy of the waiver by email once registration is completed and will be instructed to keep a copy to show the event leader upon arrival. A copy of the email shown on participants’ mobile devices is acceptable.

· Event Leaders must take attendance, for contact-tracing purposes.

· Check that participants have brought their own hand sanitizers, disinfecting wipes, face protection / food / water bottles / tools and repair kits (for cycling events).

· For cycling events, take a quick visual check to ensure there are no obvious mechanical issues with equipment to avoid the need to do repairs that can easily be addressed before the start of the event.

Pre-Event Information Briefing

In addition to the usual safety announcements and information about the event itself, further information about our COVID practices needs to be covered at the start of the event or ride.

· The pre-event information briefing must be conducted with masks on, unless physical distancing can be assured.

· Ensure that all members are aware on the symptoms associated with COVID-19, and that no one in the group is currently experiencing any of these symptoms. Ask if anyone is experiencing any of the following:

o Fever

o Cough

o Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath

o Chills

o Sore throat or difficulty swallowing

o Lost sense of taste or smell

o Muscle aches

o Extreme tiredness

· If anyone is experiencing any of these symptoms, send them home and ask that they visit a testing site to ensure they are not carrying the virus.

o A complete list of testing sites can be found here: https://covid-19.ontario.ca/

o You may also want to keep this number handy:

Telehealth Ontario: 1-866-797-0000

· Further information about the symptoms can be found here, for reference.

https://www.ontario.ca/page/covid-19-stop-spread#section-0

· Remind all participants of the need for:

o Physical distancing at all times

o Wear a protective face covering when the risk of breaching physical distancing is high (such as during stops, at the start and end of the event)

o Hand sanitizing and washing hands frequently

o Not touching other people or their possessions

o Ensuring they have their own food/water/tools/safety kit/ fully charged cell phone and route map.

o For cycling events, addressing their own mechanical issues should they occur during the ride

§ Make sure all participants do a quick bike maintenance check before departing

o Keeping the group at the maximum number allowed at all times / not merging with other groups at any time.

o Do not spit or clear an airway unless you are at the back of a group, and far from others.

· Remind participants that they have all read the policy and accepted the waiver. Ask if there are any outstanding questions about how they should behave during the event.

IN CASE OF INJURY OR MECHANICAL ISSUE

· Anyone servicing a bike, or attending to an injured individual, must wear a mask and use hand sanitizer before and after.

· Any mechanical correction may only be worked on by ONE person at a time, keeping physical distance intact.

· If a bike is to be serviced by someone other than the rider, the bike, parts (e.g. tires or tubes) and any tools used must be wiped down before and after use with a sanitizing wipe or spray

AFTER THE EVENT OR RIDE

If any member develops symptoms, notifies an event organizer / leader at TBN of symptoms, or has been (or will be) tested for COVID-19, the organizer must:

· Recommend the individual seek medical testing and follow Public Health Guidelines for the area.

· Be prepared with the contact information of event participants who have been in contact with this individual and to proactively cooperate with health authorities in following the contact-tracing protocol.

· Notify the president of TBN at president@tbn.ca.

· Provide a complete list of event attendees.

Change History:

· 2020-06-29 – original version, with Ontario guidelines for Stage 2

· 2020-07-29 – with guidelines for Stage 3 – relaxed maximum attendees, with optional limits set by Program Coordinators for an event.

· 2020-09-30 – edited to be non-cycling specific, and to reflect current provincial guidelines regarding maximum gathering limits.

· 2021-03-02 – edited to remove specific limit numbers and names of Stages to reflect changes in provincial guidelines.