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Guide to acceptable Orienteering Activities during Government Alert Levels

Updated:  23 September 2021

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Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Level 2 Restriction Club Event Guidelines
Version: 23/09/21

These Level 2 Restriction guidelines supersede all previous versions of COVID-19 ONZ event
guidelines. The guidelines will be reviewed and where necessary updated as more information
comes to light regarding Level 2 lockdown restrictions.

Our goal is to minimise any chance of Covid transmission happening for participants
attending orienteering events.

This will be achieved through the implementation of infection prevention practices
recommended by the New Zealand government and orienteering specific advice from the ONZ
covid guidelines. This also includes the provision of measures to allow effective contact
tracing for attendees at orienteering events

Under level two restrictions, all participants must continue to behave as though they might be
infected with COVID-19 themselves. “Participants” include any person taking part or spectating
at an orienteering event. Officials are not included in event limit ratios as long as they do not
also participate in the event.

Whilst the level 2 restrictions are in place, clubs will be able to resume some orienteering
events, however they must be compliant with these restrictions and guidelines. Clubs should
modify their calendar for the period the level 2 restrictions are in place and either:
1) Design their events so that they are fully compliant with the guidelines, or
2) Where events cannot be run safely and in line with the guidelines, to cancel or
postpone these events.

If clubs are unclear on how they do this or have concerns with what we are asking, they should
contact ONZ for further guidance.

CLUB EVENT GUIDELINES

Guidelines for Participants Attending Events
Clubs need to ensure all event attendees (participants and officials) are advised of the following
restrictions. These should be communicated prior to the event (e.g., website, marketing, and
promotion), as well as at each event.
People should NOT attend any orienteering event:
● If they are unwell with a cough, fever, or other respiratory symptoms.
● If they have been in close contact with a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 until
they have completed the prescribed quarantine period, even if they are completely
symptom free.
● If they have returned from any overseas country until they have completed their
allocated quarantine at an MIQ facility.
● If they are undergoing COVID-19 testing, until they have received negative results and
are symptom free.
● If they have visited a location of interest and are still completing the required testing and
isolating protocols as defined by the Ministry of Health.
● If they have been advised to stay at home by a health professional in relation to
COVID-19 risks and concerns.

We also advise competitors who fit within the higher at-risk groups such as elderly or
immunocompromised individuals, or who live with someone who fits this category, to take
particular care and/or make decisions on attendance with due consideration to the risks
associated with COVID-19.

Anyone that presents themselves unwell and/or with any of the symptoms above, should be
directed to leave the event and contact a health provider by phone.
Please keep 2m distance from people you don’t know, ensuring any closer contact is limited to
closer friends, family and people you are travelling with.
All participants must follow good hygiene practices, including:
● Using sanitizers before, during and after the event
● Ensuring coughs and sneezes are contained using your elbow or tissue/handkerchief.
● Avoiding spitting or blowing nasal mucus in places where others may run or come into
contact with it.

Ensure contact tracing details are provided at registration and that the club is notified when the
participant has finished competing, even if they did not complete the course.
Comply with instructions provided by the club which are designed to keep people safe and
ensure the social distancing and hygiene protocols are maintained.
Participants should also be reminded to operate within their comfort zone, not take
unnecessary risks, and take personal responsibility for their own and others safety.
Guidelines for Event Organisers.

Contact Tracing
All orienteering events must have their own NZ COVID tracer QR Code Posters on display at the
entry to events. The Ministry of Health have asked all organisations to have unique QR Code
Posters at every venue rather than one for the entire organisation, for orienteering this means a
separate poster for each event. These can be downloaded at
https://qrform.tracing.covid19.govt.nz/

All events must have ways for people — including competitors, organisers, spectators or other
visitors – to record their visit. You can do this by displaying the QR code at the event centre and
asking people to scan in. You also need to provide an alternative way for people to record their
visit, especially for people who are not able to scan QR codes. This alternate method of
recording should be able to collect the attendee’s name, contact detail(s), and arrival time.
Pre entries can be useful to reduce bottlenecks at registration, and for recording competitors
details that could supplement the Contact Tracing records. However pre-entries on their own
are not sufficient for contact tracing purposes as it does not capture all event attendees.

Event numbers

Gatherings at level two are limited to 100 people in a defined space. A defined space is a single
indoor or outdoor space separated from other spaces, such as an event centre. These numbers
include competitors, spectators and other visitors, but do not need to include event officials and
organisers. We would not define the actual course area outside the event centre as a defined
space, although athletes should be encouraged to maintain distancing even on course.
Events larger than 100 people can take place as long as people are separated into different
defined spaces. Separate defined spaces can be achieved through either time blocks, or using
separate event centres (see below). If an event has more than 1 defined space, then people
from different defined space groups should try not to mix or intermingle with each other.
Clubs should think carefully about allowing spectators to attend level two events as they must
be counted in participant numbers and therefore will reduce the numbers that can take part in
the event.

Based on our current understanding clubs have the following options available for running
events while complying with the gathering restrictions but still enabling larger numbers of
people to participate in the sport:

1. Having a wide time block and no event centre – for low key events, clubs could look at
   using virtual apps or tools such as Maprunner, or a semi permanent type course, which
   allows people to run a course where there is no event centre, and where there is a wide
   timeframe (ie days) where they can choose to do it. In this instance gatherings are likely
   to be minimal, even in major cities. Participants would need instructions on self-starting,
   maintaining social distancing and hygiene, and also being in charge of their own safety. A
   phone number should be provided on the map for an organiser who could assist
   someone in the event of an emergency or issue.
2. Having specified time blocks with specified numbers of competitors in defined space –
   participants would be allocated a specific time block in which they would have to start.
   This could be (for example) a 60 minute time block where a maximum of 100
   participants could start. 2m distancing between those 100 (or less) people should be
   encouraged during the event, so the layout of the event centre would need to
   accommodate that. This type of event would require marshal/s in place to direct and
   manage participants and ensure that the maximum numbers are never exceeded in the
   event centre area or during that specific time block. This will only likely work with pre
   entries, or some system of counting people in and out of the event centre/defined
   space.
3. Having multiple event centres (defined spaces)– this could include separate start/event
   centre and finish locations, each which could be counted as a defined space in its own
   right. This would enable group blocks to be allowed into the start/event centre, as soon
   as the last person from the previous block has started and left the event centre/start
   defined space, and without having to wait for them to finish as well. The finish area
   would have to be managed to ensure people quickly move out of the finish area and
   leave the event, so that bottlenecks of gatherings do not occur which could threaten the
   100 person limit.
   Rogaines also have the opportunity for having multiple start and finish locations, which
   allow for simultaneous starts of multiple blocks of people.
   
   

Risk Management During Event
Event organisers should look at opportunities to reduce the risk to orienteers, officials, and
volunteers through taking sensible precautions and implement practices which reduce the
chance of infection and which support social distancing. These include:
● Ensure the 2m social distancing rule is practiced by participants at all times
● Masks should be encouraged for everyone attending the event including participants
when they are not competing. Obviously during competition athletes would not be
expected to wear masks.
● Managing or removing any bottlenecks or areas where congregating can occur – avoid
on the day registrations (ideally pre-register), no results area, no mass starts, no
socialising at the event
● Ensuring toilet facilities, if provided, have cleaning products and protocols in place which
enable sanitising after each use. Where this cannot be achieved, we recommend not
providing toilet facilities
● Ensure touchpoints such as control clippers, SI sticks, and other devices such as Ipads, SI
units etc are disinfected before and after the event. Also ensure participants sanitise
before and after using these items.
● Not providing water on course or at start or finish for competitors. Competitors should
bring their own water.
● Asking competitors to bring their own hand sanitisers.
● Providing hand washing or sanitising facilities at key locations including, start and finish
areas.
● Asking all that attend to follow good hygiene practices and maintain physical space
between each other.
● Providing refunds to those that withdraw for health reasons.
● Reduce the opportunity for people to congregate including having no results areas
(make available online), and no presentations at events.
● Maps should be kept by competitors after finishing at all events.
● Ensure any hard surfaces such as tables etc are regularly disinfected and wiped clean.
● Where possible encourage people to enter and pay online, rather than manually handle
cash. This could be in the form of giving entrants banking information to allow them to
pay online before or after the event.
● Arranging starts and finishes to allow >2m distance between people, and/or staggered
starts.

App Based Events
Maprunner and other app-based event systems are increasingly being used and have real
potential value during level two or higher restrictions due to the contactless nature of the
systems. The ONZ Slack sharing platform, OChat, has a channel dedicated to these systems
where orienteers have shared their experience of using them. We encourage orienteers and
clubs to look into these app-based systems further and share with each other knowledge and
information on how to run events effectively with these.
There may be other actions which clubs choose to take not listed here which could enhance
how events can run under the current restrictions.
These guidelines will get reviewed and updated as things progress, so please be prepared for
changes in due course. They will get posted on the website as well as sent directly to clubs.

Christo Peters General Manager

Peter Swanson Chairperson