EUPA COVID-19 Update

March 11

We know there are lots of worries and questions out there with the increasing number of cases and media focus on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, so we wanted to take some time to update our members on what EUPA is taking from Alberta Health Services and other authorities to prepare.

According to Alberta Health Services, the risk that COVID-19 currently poses to Albertans is still low. For now, there will be no changes to the programming that EUPA is running. We’ll continue to monitor the situation and the recommendations of our local health authorities, and will update everyone if and when our approach needs to be modified.

Alberta Health Services has a few key recommendations for best practices that you can currently do to protect yourself and your family against the spread of respiratory illnesses like the novel coronavirus or a seasonal flu. They are:

Wash your hands often and well.
Avoid touching your face, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Clean and disinfect surfaces that are frequently touched.
Stay at home and away from others if you are feeling ill.
When sick, cover your coughs and sneezes and then wash your hands.

Of course, ultimate frisbee is a sport built around passing a common object and with congratulatory contact as part of our culture. Building off of AHS and Ultimate Canada’s recommendations, the current recommendations and actions that EUPA will be taking are:

Wash your hands with soap and water or hand sanitizer thoroughly and regularly, especially before and after games. Cover your coughs and sneezes using the crook of your elbow rather than your hands, and wash your hands after you blow your nose.
Take a minute at home to thoroughly wash discs that you’re bringing to the fields before and after games. We’ll also be distributing bleach and water sprays to field coordinators so that game discs can be disinfected before games, at half time, and after games. Note that after being sprayed, discs should be left to air dry instead of being wiped so that they get properly disinfected.
Avoid high fiving teammates throughout games or when subbing. At the end of games, instead of spirit circles, handshakes, or high fives, do elbow bumps or just give each other shoutouts.
Avoid sharing water bottles or snacks with fellow players.
If you’re feeling sick (especially if you have a fever or cough), stay home and avoid public gatherings until your symptoms clear up.
Finally, if you end up having exposure to someone diagnosed with COVID-19, please stay home and let us know the date of your exposure.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation in keeping our leagues healthy! We will be continuing to monitor the situation and updates from AHS, and will update all of you as soon as we can if and when the situation evolves. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us!

If you have more questions about COVID-19, please check out these great resources: