viaSport Return to Sport Restart Guidelines June 1, 2021

On June 1 viaSport updated its guidelines for Return to Sport in BC, which has implications for the practice of Aikido. This will be a "living" document that is expected to change rapidly as BC progresses with its restart of sports and recreation.

Some important takeaways are

• Provincial Public Health Orders take precedence; progression to future stages will be dependent on vaccination and hospitalization rates.
• The main areas where distinctions are being made are in the areas of
  • travel (non-essential travel between the three travel zones is still restricted),
  • contact (now allowed on “the field of play” in outdoor settings only),
  • indoor (physical distancing, maximum of 2 adults) vs. outdoor (physical distancing when not on the “field of play”), and
  • youth vs. adult.

While the BCAF is NOT a member of viaSport, as we are a non-competitive martial art, there is a lot of useful information for individual dojo looking to resume in-person practice in a manner that is in line with the intentions of rapidly changing PHOs.

As BC proceeds with its restart throughout the summer, we will be moving toward a decentralization of guidelines. This means that individual dojo will have to consider their own unique circumstances and the attitudes of their instructors and members when devising their COVID protocols and safety plans.

Click here for the link to viaSport’s Return to Sport Restart_2.0.  Check the link often for updates.