Club Brittany

Club Brittany Family and Friends,

With the governor’s recent announcement that Virginia will be moving into Phase 2 on Friday, we are excited to announce the pool will be opening this Saturday, June 6th at 11am! Registration is now open for both pool membership and swim lessons. With that said, there are several new restrictions that the board has decided to implement and will remain in place as long as we are in Phase 2 of re-opening.

Before we dive into the restrictions (pun intended), I want to emphasize three main points that everyone needs to consider when signing up and/or visiting the pool.

All members are expected to know and follow the new pool restrictions outlined below. Please be respectful and self monitor your family to ensure compliance. Per the CDC guidelines, guards that are on duty (sitting in the stands) will not be enforcing physical distancing restrictions given their focus on swimmer safety. Other pool staff will periodically monitor and remind members/families of restrictions as needed. If there are multiple instances of having to remind a member or family, they may be asked to leave the pool premises at the pool manager’s discretion.

If you or your family is not comfortable with being a member under these restrictions or due to high risk conditions, please strongly consider before signing up or visiting the pool.

*Restrictions will remain in effect as long as we are in Phase 2 and may change at the board’s discretion. * Given no past experience in applying these rules, the board may need to change or add restrictions to ensure the safety of our members and staff. Members will receive advance notification via email prior to them taking effect.

Okay, now to the details! In order for the pool to be in compliance with the CDC guidelines published (attached), the following restrictions are effective immediately at the pool and will remain in place for the duration of Phase 2.

Entry / Exit of Pool Restrictions

• All members will be asked by staff if they have a fever, cough, shortness of breath, or other attributes of sickness prior to entering the gated fenced entrance at the pool. If any symptoms are reported, entry will not be allowed.
• All members will be required to sign-in and sign-out as they enter or leave the pool. It is highly recommended that members limit exit/re-entry of the fenced in area to avoid confusion around current capacity counts.
• Staff will be monitoring pool capacity to ensure ability to enforce required distancing within the pool gates.
• Pool guests (non-members) will not be allowed during Phase 2. This is to ensure everyone at the pool is aware of new restrictions and safety of all members/staff.

Pool Seating Restrictions

• Picnic tables with umbrellas will be available for use and spread out at least 10 feet apart. Disinfectant wipes or spray will be available at each table. Members will be expected to wipe down tables after usage.
• To ensure there is sufficient space for families to remain 10 feet apart and to reduce the amount of cleaning required by staff, there will be no lounge chairs set up on premises. Members will need to bring their own seating (beach chairs) and remove them from the premises when leaving the pool.

Swimming Time Restrictions

• There will be no hourly adult swims during Phase 2; instead, staff will use this 10 minute window of time to do periodic cleanings required per the CDC guidelines.
• If the pool is busy / near capacity, it is requested that families limit their time at the pool to 2-hours in order to ensure other members have an opportunity to enjoy the pool.

Swim Team Impact

• VBSL cancelled the official 2020 swim league season however we are planning an alternative “season” for previous Blue Tide swimmers.

Food & Drink Impact

• Snack bar will be closed during Phase 2. Staff will instead ensure members are following entry/exit restrictions, monitoring capacity and distancing, and conduct additional periodic cleaning per CDC guidelines. Members will need to bring their own food and drink to the pool.

Socials & Parties Impact

• No club socials or parties will be allowed during Phase 2 to ensure we keep physical distance and all members have equal opportunity to enjoy the pool.

Masks Usage

• As we are an outdoor pool, members will not be required to wear a mask when at the pool; however, it is recommended if members are unable to keep 10 feet apart from other families and/or using the closed-in facilities such as bathrooms.
• Pool staff will wear masks when within closed-in pool facilitates such as the snack bar or office if there is more than one person within the room.

We recognize these restrictions are not ideal; however, the board feels they are all necessary to ensure we are in compliance with the Phase 2 guidelines and the safety of all. We hope to return to a more normal atmosphere (chairs, open snack bar, 9-12 yr olds allowed along at the pool, etc) upon entering Phase 3. Please let us know if you have any immediate questions and we look forward to the start of the season!

Sincerely,

Chris Dunphey
Club Brittany President