Dear fellow freedivers,

We are monitoring the developments regarding the novel coronavirus COVID-19 and assessing any potential impacts it may have on our clubs and events, and in particular, Pool Nationals 2020. We are also looking at how this may impact on Depth Nationals, which we are close to announcing.

Whilst we cannot predict what the exact situation will be in May, our highest priority is the health and safety of our members. We are continually reviewing the latest regulations and advice, and working in conjunction with the venue to facilitate the running of the event. We will keep you updated to notify of any changes in plans should they occur. 

At the present time, we would recommend divers who are intending to travel to the Australian Pool Nationals from overseas to be mindful of the increasing border restrictions, and plan accordingly.

Current information pertaining to high performance sports can be found at the AIS webpage, who are providing evidence based, real time advice in a number of areas relating to the outbreak, including travelling to sporting events, athletes arriving or returning to Australia, and FAQ’s relating to COVID-19. In addition, we encourage you to follow updates from your local health authorities for the current situation and outlook. 

We ask everyone to practice high levels of hygiene health. Recommendations  from health and disease prevention experts are to regularly wash hands with soap and avoid touching your face. We also ask that you consider avoiding unnecessary physical contact (hugging, shaking hands etc). We want to avoid further spreading the virus as much as possible.

Finally, we ask all of our members to please be responsible and not attend training if:

  • You have been in any of the declared zones in the last two weeks (the list is here: check all high/moderate risk zones)
  • You have been in contact with anyone who has been travelling in those zones, or concerned you have been in contact with anyone that has 
  • Have any cold or flu-like symptoms, even if they are minor

If in any doubt, please err on the side of caution.

Further information on when it is advisable to self-isolate is available from the Department of Health, linked below:
https://www.health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-health-alert

If you have any questions, or would like further information, please contact us.

Kind regards,

The AFA Board