BASEBALL RETURN TO PLAY COVIDSafe PLAN Wednesday, 8 September 2021 Easing of Restrictions in Regional Victoria, Lockdown in Metro Melbourne VERSION 28 BASEBALL VICTORIA RETURN TO ACTIVITY/PLAY COVIDSAFE PLAN INTRODUCTION Baseball Victoria, our members, clubs and the wider community have all been affected by COVID-19. The health, wellbeing and safety of all involved in our sport is paramount, as such Baseball Victoria will continue to work closely with the relevant health authorities, both at a national and state level, to ensure we successfully navigate our way to safely resuming activity and play for baseball in Victoria. “We are pleased to hear about the easing of restrictions in regional Victoria, allowing for a return to training, while we know the situation is still challenging for all Victorians. Our top priorities remain the health and safety of our Victorian baseball community. We continue to communicate with VSBL clubs about the summer season and we are looking forward to getting back to baseball when it’s safe to do so.” Baseball Victoria Interim CEO Gemma Scales PURPOSE The purpose of this document is to provide the Office of Sport and Recreation Victoria, local government and councils and the associated government department(s) that manage venues and facilities throughout the state with a comprehensive strategy of a ‘Return to Activity’ and a ‘Return to Play.’ All information provided is sourced from relevant national and state government departments and strictly follows the guidelines as prepared by Sport Australia in the AIS Framework for Rebooting Sport in a COVID-19 environment and the Department of Sport and Recreation Victoria. In an evolving landscape with COVID-19, the recommendations and guidelines detailed in this document will be updated regularly in line with national and state announcements. BASEBALL VICTORIA RETURN TO ACTIVITY/PLAY COVIDSAFE PLAN Version 28 | Page 1 – Updated 8 September 2021 BASEBALL VICTORIA RETURN TO ACTIVITY/PLAY COVIDSAFE PLAN SUMMARY POSITION Following the Victorian Government’s announcements on the lifting of lockdown restrictions in regional Victoria, Baseball Victoria acknowledges that a return to baseball training may commence from 10 September 2021 for three VSBL clubs in regional Victoria: Ballarat Royals, Geelong Baycats, and Mitchell Majors. Current lockdown restrictions will ease in regional Victoria, except for Greater Shepparton from 11.59pm on Thursday 9 September. These changes will include: • Five reasons to leave home are removed. • No limit on the distance regional Victorians can travel from home – other than restrictions on entry to metropolitan Melbourne. • Density limits and patron caps on restaurants, retail, and entertainment venues. • Community sport - permitted outdoor training only with the minimum number required to train. Spectators are prohibited except one parent permitted to supervise children. This ability to train will only apply to the Ballarat Royals, Geelong Baycats, and Mitchell Majors as clubs participating in the Victorian Summer Baseball League. All players from these three clubs will be required to complete the return to training registration for regional Victoria, and all clubs must maintain an attendance register and COVID-19 restriction compliance documentation. Community sport training may be conducted in groups of twenty (20) people, including necessary coaching or administration staff. The total number of people in a single group is twenty (20). Two groups can train on the same baseball field, in separate spaces on that field, that remain separate for the entire training session. Members from each training group cannot move between groups. Coaches cannot move between groups. A maximum of two groups of twenty people can train at any single venue. Registration and return to play documents will be confirmed directly with these clubs and registered players for these clubs, subject to any further updates from the Victorian Government or Sport and Recreation Victoria. Most winter associations cancelled the remainder of their seasons last month. Winter associations that wish to return to limited training may do so with council approval and in line with the Baseball Victoria COVIDSafe Plan in hopes of completing their seasons once a return to competition is allowed. The Victorian Government has provided this table of restrictions outlining the changes for regional Victoria and the current lockdown settings for metropolitan Melbourne. Lockdown restrictions remain the same in metropolitan Melbourne, with all baseball activity cancelled until lockdown is eventually lifted and community sport is allowed to resume. The Victorian Government has flagged small easing of restrictions when 70 percent of eligible Victorians have had at least one dose of vaccine, a target we are expected to reach in the next two weeks at the current vaccination rate. The return to community sport in metropolitan Melbourne remains undetermined at this stage, with further clarification expected over the coming weeks and months. BASEBALL VICTORIA RETURN TO ACTIVITY/PLAY COVIDSAFE PLAN Version 28 | Page 2 – Updated 8 September 2021 BASEBALL VICTORIA RETURN TO ACTIVITY/PLAY COVIDSAFE PLAN Baseball Victoria continues to closely monitor this evolving situation to provide regular updates to VSBL clubs regarding plans for the start of the summer season. Baseball Victoria Aces Academy remains online, and no baseball clubs in metropolitan Melbourne may conduct training, come and try days, or any in-person activities. The lockdown restrictions in metropolitan Melbourne include: • Only five reasons to leave home: o shopping for necessary goods and services (within 5km radius of home unless not available within) o two hours of exercise (within 5km radius of home unless not available within, and with only one other person) o caregiving/compassionate/medical reasons o authorised work or permitted education – with valid permit only o getting the coronavirus vaccine • No public or private gatherings • No community sport • Masks must be worn both indoors and outdoors unless an exemption applies • Daily curfew from 9pm – 5am (metropolitan Melbourne only) The Baseball Victoria website contains all COVID Update information in relation to specific lockdown requirements, the availability of the COVID Vaccine and access to COVID Information and mental health services via the COVID Resource section at www.baseballvictoria.com.au. BASEBALL VICTORIA RETURN TO ACTIVITY/PLAY COVIDSAFE PLAN Version 28 | Page 3 – Updated 8 September 2021 BASEBALL VICTORIA RETURN TO ACTIVITY/PLAY COVIDSAFE PLAN CONTENT INTRODUCTION 1 PURPOSE 1 SUMMARY POSITION 2 CONTENT 4 KEY PRINCPLES 6 RESOURCES 8 RETURN TO SPORT ROADMAP 9 COVIDSafe PLAN for VICTORIAN CLUBS 10 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS 14 INSURANCE 17 RESOURCE DOCUMENTS 18 CLUB LISTINGS 19 CLUB LISTINGS 20 BASEBALL VICTORIA RETURN TO ACTIVITY/PLAY COVIDSAFE PLAN Version 28 | Page 4 – Updated 8 September 2021 BASEBALL VICTORIA RETURN TO ACTIVITY/PLAY COVIDSAFE PLAN DOCUMENT VERSIONS DOCUMENT APPLICABLE CHANGES VERSION DATES Version 1 25 May 2020 – 1 Return to Activity June 2020 Version 2 1 June 2020 – Activity Groups from 10 to 20 athletes Onwards Version 3A 19 June 2020 – Continued Activity – 20 athletes Onwards Return to Contact Training – 20 athletes, Return to Baseball – Full Competition Version 3B 24 June 2020 Continued Activity – 20 Athletes, Junior Return to Baseball Version 3C 30 June 2020 Continued Activity – 20 Athletes, Junior Return to Baseball, Lockdown Postcode Information Version 3D 4 July 2020 Continued Activity – 20 Athletes, Junior Return to Baseball, ADDITION - Lockdown Postcode Information – 2 additional postcodes Version 4 9 July 2020 Melbourne Metro and Mitchell Shire Lockdown – Continued Activity in Regional Victoria Version 5 2 August 2020 Victorian Update Restrictions, Stage 4 Melbourne, Stage 3 Reginal Victoria Version 6 15 September 2020 Metro Melbourne, Remains the SAME Regional Victoria, Step 3, Return to Junior Play and Senior Non-Contact Training in small groups Version 7 23 September 2020 Updated to include Full Regional Victoria and Metro Melbourne RoadMap, updated specific small group training information Version 8 18 October 2020 Updated Victorian Government Restrictions for Metro and Regional Victoria Version 9 28 October 2020 Updated Victorian Government Restrictions for Metro and Regional Victoria – Return to Activity Version 10 3 November 2020 Updated to include COVID Safe Plan Version 11 8 November 2020 Changes to Restrictions, Roadmap next steps. Version 12 22 November 2020 Additional Easing of Restrictions in to the ‘Last Step’ of the Government RoadMap. Version 13 6 December 2020 Additional Easing of Restrictions for COVID Summer. Version 14 4 February 2021 Updated restrictions, return to NYE Dated restrictions. Version 15 5 March 2021 Update to new masks restrictions. Version 16 17 May 2021 Updated restrictions, hot spot instructions Version 17 27 May 2021 7 Day Lockdown Version 18 3 June 2021 Extended Metro Lockdown Easing Regional Restrictions Version 19 9 June 2021 Easing Restrictions for Metro Melbourne Further Easing of Restrictions for Regional Victoria Version 10 June 2021 Update to the Easing of Restrictions, masks are required outdoors 19.02 Version 20 18 June 2021 Updated for continued easing of restrictions – play returning for metro and regional Victoria. Version 21 23 June 2021 Continued easing of restrictions, Return to Play with spectators across Victoria. Version 22 15 July 2021 State-wide lockdown Version