JSA of LIS Member Program COVID‐19 Update

To JSA member program leaders,

Since we published the March 31 report about the initial effect on our member junior sailing programs, the effort to flatten the curve of COVID-19 infections seems to be having a promising trend. 

JSA Supporting Actions: 

To help coordinate a consistent approach and develop best practices to recommend for safe operations, the JSA board members will this week again contact the member program leaders to ask for additional input about each junior sailing program’s planning for safe operation during this summer. 

For example, what is your junior program planning about health safety policies, such as physical distancing, personal protective equipment, sanitation, disinfection of common areas, and assure that staff and participants are monitored for infection, and isolated when appropriate? And if your program is planning to host a regatta this summer, we’ll seek similar information about how the competitors and the race management team may stay safe during the regatta.

And then in early May we’ll schedule a virtual meeting to provide an opportunity for a dialog among JSA’s member programs about safe operations. 

State and Federal Guidelines:

Recently, the governors of Connecticut, New York and New Jersey announced that personal recreational boating will be permitted at marinas and boat yards as long as strict physical distancing and sanitizing protocols are followed. That’s very good news for yacht clubs and community sailing sites because their members are now allowed to prepare, launch and use boats at those facilities. And as a result, the infrastructure to support junior sailing programs at those sites will probably be available this summer. 

But what will be the guidelines to safely operate a youth program while the risk of coronavirus infection is present? Some guidelines were published last week by the White House Coronavirus Task Force. In the federal “Opening Up America Again” guidelines, a three phase approach was proposed. Youth activities like school, daycare and camp that are currently closed will remain closed until Phase 2, which is defined as a specific locality meeting certain criteria for two consecutive 14-day periods. The criteria include, among others, downward trajectory of documented COVID-19 cases within each 14-day period, and statewide preparedness for testing, isolation and contact tracing, with adequate healthcare system capacity. The full guidelines may be read as an interactive web page or in a printable format. 

Program Schedule:

Therefore, in the best case, youth activities like daycare and camp (including sailing camps and programs) would seem possible only after two consecutive 14-day periods of satisfactory criteria in a locality, which takes us to mid-May at the earliest. And because an important baseline criterion for Phase 1 and 2 is the availability of testing for COVID-19 infection and antibodies, it seems logical to add a few weeks to that timeline, which may take us into mid-June or later. 

JSA is looking forward to assisting each of its member programs to operate safely and successfully this summer!

Be well,

Richard West

Chairperson
JSA of LIS

Huguenot Yacht Club

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