Step 3> Regional Clubs

UPDATE: Tuesday 10th November, 2020.

Following the Premier’s recent update, we know everyone will be pleased that the 25km travel restriction has now been lifted. So there will no doubt be lots of long overdue catch ups with family and friends taking place around the state.

In Regional Victoria where competitions are in full swing in many areas, we hope that all necessary COVID-Safe practices are being carried out and that members and clubs are doing all that you can to stay safe.

Clubs should be pleased to see in this week’s update, that as well as social bowls, barefoot bowls can also now commence, with a cap of 10 per group, and groups separated by 10 metres.

Bowls Victoria is still liaising with Government about the use of masks in hot weather, for now they are still mandatory.

There have been some questions around spacing and partitions for hospitality areas, and according to current guidelines we can confirm the following:

  • Temporary structures remain allowed to separate indoor spaces, otherwise 5m distance is required between clusters of up to 10 patrons.
  • An indoor space may be split into indoor zones in which up to 10 members of the public (excluding infants under one year of age) may be seated, so long as each member of the public is seated at least 5 metres away from any member of the public seated in an adjacent indoor zone. The number of members of the public in each indoor zone may consist of multiple unrelated group bookings.

UPDATE: Friday 30th October, 2020.

Bowls Victoria today participated in a number of meetings with various agencies and the State Government, which have resulted in confirmation of a number of changes to our previous advice. 

This advice is current as of today, 30th October 2020, and affects both Metro Melbourne and Regional Victoria.

Masks are now mandatory, and all conflicting information has been corrected. This is a Victorian Government directive. Further detail can be found in the Return to Play Guidelines below.

There are 3 key areas of change:

MASKS

ACCESS TO CLUBHOUSES

We have received clarification that access to clubhouses is permitted where there is a bar, café or restaurant. Clubs which only have a clubhouse, with no hospitality offering, are only permitted to open toilets and changerooms.

PLAYER NUMBERS & GREENS

Groups of up to 10 people are permitted outdoors on greens, but groups must now be 10m apart. This rule does not apply to pennant, pennant practice or other state events. Information on this change can be found in the sections titled “Number of players” and “Types of Competitions”.

We understand that the ongoing changes will be causing frustration, however be prepared that there will likely be more to come and quite likely prior to the next round of major changes due to be announced on the 8th of November. 

UPDATE: Wednesday 28th October, 2020.

For Regional clubs: Tuesday’s advice did not present any crucial changes for Regional Victorian’s clubs but please continue to review the Return to Play Guidelines frequently for updates.


Revised Step 3A Guidelines Summary for Clubs:

The following guidelines are in place for clubs in Regional Victoria (Step 3A):

  • Clubs can have up to 70 people outdoors
  • Up to 10 people per indoor space, with a maximum of 40 people per venue indoors.
  • The two and four square metre rules apply to indoor and outdoor dining spaces.
  • Each indoor dining area must be separated by a permanent structure, or be a discrete area of the premises. Walls used as structures to separate areas should either reach from floor to ceiling, or be at least 2.1 metres high for the space to be considered sufficiently separate.
  • Businesses must continue to ensure people from metropolitan Melbourne do not eat-in.


General around-the-green hygiene:

  • Refrain from shaking hands, high-fives or any contact with others, and keep 1.5 metres apart. Refrain from handling other people’s bowls.
  • Mats and jacks should be handled by one person only.
  • Please keep your hands clean by having sanitiser readily available at the club.
  • Wash your hands before and after play.
  • Wear a clean uniform.
  • If you are feeling unwell then you should not attend the club under any circumstances.
  • Members in a high-risk category should strongly consider whether they should or should not be playing as per their own circumstances and/or medical advice.
  • If a member is sick or comes into contact with someone that may have tested positive to COVID-19, the club must let Bowls Victoria know immediately.

Greens Maintenance

Under the new restrictions, greenkeepers can continue to carry out their work with a COVID-Safe plan.

For clubs with a paid greenkeeper, please carefully consider their contract(s) and/or employment law for guidance.


Additional Resources

For the latest Premier’s COVID-19 Statements, please click here.

Links to the latest COVID-19 information and resources, including current restriction levels, are available from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) here.