Swing Patrol’s Community Health & Safety Plan
At Swing Patrol, after being shut down for pretty much 2 years from the start of the Covid pandemic – either by government mandate or by common sense – we know that swing dancing is an activity with a high risk of transmission, but also that many people are keen to be dancing again. Swing Patrol continues to adhere to the government recommendation to be up to date and fully vaccinated against Covid-19, to hopefully mitigate serious personal illness. We therefore strongly encourage attendees at all classes and dance activities to consider their vaccination status and the possible risks incurred by exposure to numbers of people in close proximity and physical contact, indoors, unmasked and engaging in aerobic exercise.
In the hopes of limiting transmission throughout the community, we continue to ask:
Keeping everyone safe – DO NOT attend classes or dance activities if you are unwell, if experiencing any Covid symptoms, if you have been in contact with a positive Covid case or are awaiting Covid test results. Likewise, stay at home if you have illness such as colds and flu.
If a pre-booking has been made, Swing Patrol will provide a full refund. If a Teacher is unable to come to class, and a substitute teacher cannot be found, the class may be run with a solo teacher or cancelled at short notice. Any cancellation will be advised via the website and social media. Pre-bookings will be refunded if Swing Patrol cancels a class. To repeat, DO NOT come to class if you are unwell.
In the event of a positive Covid Case …
As contact tracing is no longer part of the standard public health response, individuals must now take more responsibility for minimising the spread of Covid.
Attendees at swing dance classes and activities may be what the Department of Health defines as Social or Workplace Contacts, and as such, should be aware of the risks associated with exposure to Covid-19. Refer to https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/checklist-contacts for information and advice for Social or Workplace Contacts.
In the event of a positive Covid case at a Swing Patrol class or activity, our CovidSafe Plan includes the following procedures:
- * If you test positive for Covid-19, if you attended a class/activity during your infectious period, please notify Swing Patrol (text 0412 309 311 OR email [email protected]) specifying the venue, date and time of the class/activity you attended. The infectious period is defined as 48 hours before you started to develop symptoms (or, if you did not have symptoms, 48 hours before your positive test).
- * If advised of a positive Covid case in class, Swing Patrol will advise other attendees via the website and social media. Notifications will be posted on the website Home Page, the Covid Safety page, and the relevant venue page, and also on the Swing Patrol Melbourne Facebook page and Swing Patrol Melbourne Instagram. PLEASE take responsibility for keeping an eye on these forums, so you can be aware of potential exposure.
Additional Safety measures …
Cashless Payment – Swing Patrol is now running casual, drop-in classes, with a cashless payment system, using Square card readers to take contactless card payments at the door. Pay by Visa, Mastercard or EFTPOS card. Swing Patrol Class Cards will also be honoured. Cashless payment also preferred at social dance activities.
Class Cards – Existing Swing Patrol Class Card will be honoured. Cards with an expiry date of March 2020 or later are still valid. If pre-paid online registration is required, those who have existing Swing Patrol Class Cards will need to register online for no cost, and produce your Class Card at the door on the night of the class (no card, no entry.) Until we can confidently open classes more fully and accessibly, with a broader timetable, we are not selling Class Cards or Gift Vouchers. We don’t want to promise something we’re not sure we can deliver.
Face Masks – these should be worn in accordance with current public health guidelines. Where masks are not mandated, attendees may choose to wear a mask at any time before, during or after class. Note that masks are not recommended when out of breath or puffing from strenuous exercise (eg. dancing) and that masks are less effective when damp. Masks should be handled with care – do not touch the front of the mask when putting on or removing, and sanitise hands immediately after handling a mask. Masks should not be disposed of at the venue – take your used mask home with you eg. in a plastic bag.
Hygiene & distancing – Everyone should sanitise hands upon entry to and exit from the venue, and sanitiser will be available for use as you wish throughout the class/dance activity. You may wish to bring your own mini hand sanitiser to use during class, to speed up the process.
You should bring your own water bottle. We will minimize the amount of shared water or food, of water glasses provided, and likely no mints or lollies on the table.
As Swing Patrol hires venues in which to hold our classes, workshops and dance activities, we must adhere to the CovidSafe Plans of each individual venue. Thus, density requirements, check-in and record keeping procedures, traffic flow and distancing recommendations etc may differ from one location to another. Please observe signage displayed at the venue.
Partner Dancing – Swing Patrol has always encouraged partner changing in classes and workshops, as it offers a better learning experience and promotes the inclusive, friendly, social style of dancing we value. We will continue to run classes with partner changing, by default. However, we recognise this may not always be appropriate for everyone. If people BYO partner and don’t wish to join the rotation, that’s fine. Please advise the teachers at the start of the class and they will manage the class in order to avoid confusion during the lesson.
Everyone – Swing Patrol management, teachers and students – should adhere to current DOH guidelines with regard to testing, isolating, reporting and quarantining. All members of the community should continue to monitor DOH announcements on current restriction levels and safety protocols. Refer to https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/how-we-live for more on the current government guidelines.
Thank you for your continued cooperation.
