SPORT MEDICINE ADVISORY COMMITTEE UPDATE:
(Excerpt)
Within Canada the number of cases continues to rise across the country, but the rate of new cases appears to be slowing in most regions although at different rates. Despite this, areas or clusters of sustained infections and rising hospitalisations are still occurring. In Canada the overall “doubling time” is now between 4 and 5 days. This is in large part due to the efforts of everyone to stay at home and of the social distancing since 12 March. Interesting, of the present confirmed cases 79% have no known contact which reinforces the previous recommendations of “Act as if you are infected and treat anyone you come into contact with as if they are infected”. It is also important to understand that 63% of all confirmed cases in Canada are between the ages of 20 and 59 (28% of all cases between 20 – 39) no one is immune!
There is increasing evidence that people who are infected will transmit the virus even before they show any symptoms. (This is one of the reasons for Dr. Tam suggesting that masks be worn when social distancing cannot be guaranteed – to minimize asymptomatic spread.) If you do wear masks it is very important that you are fully versed in how to put them on and take them off to stop contaminating your own hands (Link to Canada govt website). https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/prevention-risks.html
Although certain countries in Europe and Asia are considering relaxing isolation restrictions in the near future, it is still far too early in Canada for us to start to follow suit. We need to keep on with the social isolation, hygiene and distancing measures to ensure the gains made so far are effective and sustained. It is still not safe to look for loopholes to restart group training. It remains essential for everyone for all of us to avoid training in teams/crews/ pools etc, using shared equipment of public facilities as per the previous statements.
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