SNLCC Covid Vaccination Policy as at 24/01/22
Rationale
The Delta & Omicron variants of COVID-19 have proved to be game changers and carry significantly higher risk of transmission than previous strains of the virus. The Government has repeatedly emphasised the importance of vaccinations – to protect individuals and to give the country more possibilities in managing the virus. Vaccination is widely considered critical to protecting people’s health and safety, by reducing the risk of transmission and minimising the clinical impacts of COVID-19 infection.
Under current legislative settings, all organisations can require visitors to their facilities, and/or participants in activities that they run, to be vaccinated as a condition of entry, subject to having undertaken a risk assessment to inform a final policy decision.
This policy sets out Suburbs New Lynn Cricket Club’s COVID-19 vaccination requirements in the new Red ‘traffic light’ framework as they apply to employees, and contractors, and to all members and volunteers*. It is designed to keep our people safe and is aligned to the Government’s objective of minimising the impacts of the COVID-19 global pandemic and protecting the communities of Aotearoa New Zealand.
* including coaches, officials, managers, players and parents
Statement
At Suburbs New Lynn Cricket Club, we encourage and support our members being vaccinated against COVID-19, so that we can reduce the risk of exposure and transmission of COVID-19. It is important that we provide you with a safe community, in which you can undertake cricket and social activities. A safe community is a COVID-19 free community, and currently the best protection against spreading COVID-19 is vaccination. We recognise that COVID-19 poses a very real and serious risk to the safety of our staff, members and volunteers, and in accordance with our health and safety obligations, we are required to take reasonably practicable steps to put in place control measures to manage and minimise (or eliminate) any such risk.
Suburbs New Lynn Cricket Club Requirements
Facilities
From Friday 3 December 2021 only those people who are fully vaccinated (i.e. have completed a NZ Government recognised course of COVID-19 vaccination) will be able to access the following club facilities.
- Upstairs Clubroom Lounge
- Indoor Training Centre
The club will require proof of vaccination at the time of entry to these facility and activities. This will include digital COVID-19 Vaccination Certificates when these are available.
Employees and Volunteers
As a result of the risk assessment undertaken by the Suburbs New Lynn Executive Committee employees, contractors and volunteers who perform certain roles will be required to be vaccinated. This is because these roles have been assessed as putting the person performing it at an increased risk of contracting or transmitting COVID-19, and that risk cannot be safely managed with other control measures.
The roles requiring vaccination are
- Club Manager
- Paid coaching staff
- Volunteer parent coaches and managers of junior teams
Members and Outdoor playing and training venues
As stated earlier in this policy all members are strongly encouraged to be fully vaccinated. However, for playing or training outdoors vaccination is not a mandatory requirement for the following reasons
- Government, NZC and Auckland Cricket Covid Guidelines have all recognised that the risk of transmission in outdoor community sport is minimal provided the usual Covid health and safety process are followed
- Cricket in New Zealand wishes to be inclusive and not automatically exclude any sectors of society
- Auckland Cricket has decided that all club cricket competitions will not mandate that participants have to be vaccinated
- It would be virtually impossible from a practical perspective to enforce any mandatory vaccination requirement across open and public outdoor cricket training and playing venues.
Parents and Supporters
For the same reasons as stated for members and outdoor playing and training venues there is no mandatory requirement vaccination for parents and supporters. They are asked to observe all Covid Health and Safety requirements and to also remain physically distanced from all members during playing and training activities.
Vaccination Status
Where vaccinations are required, SNLCC may ask individuals to disclose, and/or provide proof of, their vaccination status. Information regarding vaccination status is collected for the purposes of our health and safety management planning, implementing this policy, and to identify any relevant support measures (related to Covid-19). SNLCC will hold this information in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020.
You are not required to give this information and if you choose not to provide proof of having received the vaccine, or do not wish to disclose your vaccination status, then we will respect your personal choice and right to that privacy. In the interests of health and safety, those unable or unwilling to provide proof of vaccination when requested, will be treated as though they have not been vaccinated.
In keeping with Government Guidelines all children 12 years old and younger will not be required to show proof of vaccination but will automatically be treated as if they are vaccinated.
Exemptions
SNLCC respects the rights of individuals to choose whether to be vaccinated and acknowledges that there may be medical or other reasons or circumstances, for not being vaccinated, for which you may seek an exemption. Where an employee or contractor seeks an exemption from the requirement to be vaccinated, SNLCC will require them to provide confirmation of this, by way of an official exemption letter from the Ministry of Health (letters from GP’s and other sources are not acceptable).
If, in future, a role within SNLCC is required to be performed by a vaccinated person under the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Vaccinations) Order 2021 (Order), exemptions to the COVID-19 vaccine will be subject to that Order. Currently, exemptions under the Order require a suitably qualified medical practitioner or nurse practitioner to apply to the Ministry of Health on an employee’s behalf, on the grounds that the employee meets the specified exemption criteria.
Even where an exemption from being vaccinated is obtained by an individual, SNLCC may have to determine whether it still safely manage the relevant risks posed by that individual not being vaccinated, and whether any accommodations can be made.
SNLCC will work with those people who are not vaccinated on a case-by-case basis, respectfully and in good faith to explore options and try and find a way forward.
- For SNLCC employees this may involve steps such as working from home, providing alternative duties, or redeployment where practical, but depending on the role, this may not always be possible. Termination of employment is also an option, but this will be used as a last resort, and only after SNLCC has explored and considered other alternative options first.
- For SNLCC members (including coaches, officials, athletes, parents and other visitors), this is likely to be more challenging given the nature of our settings and operations. As a result, unvaccinated members should expect to be denied entry or participation rights to certain designated areas as a result of their non-vaccinated status.
Additional Measures
In addition to this policy, SNLCC will maintain a range of appropriate and complementary measures in its facilities / activities to further minimise the risks associated with COVID-19, as well as following all guidance set out in the legislation and public health guidance.
The conditions of entry before coming to the facility or taking part in activities include:
- Stay home if unwell
- You must have produced evidence that you are fully vaccinated to gain access to our facilities
- You must wear a mask at all times except when being active
- Wash or sanitise hands before entering the facility/activities and when moving through different areas
- Scan your QR code every time you enter facility or at activities
- You must abide by any distancing requirements that apply e.g. 1m at Red level
The COVID-19 health questions that will need to be answered include:
- You do not have any symptoms associated with COVID-19 (e.g. fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, sneezing/runny nose or loss of sense of smell)
- You are fully vaccinated against COVID-19
- You do not have COVID-19 nor are you awaiting the results from being tested for COVID-19
- You have not been in contact with any known or suspected cases of COVID-19 in the past 14 days
- You have not returned, or been in contact with anyone else who has returned, from overseas in the past 14 days
SNLCC acknowledges that best practice in the minimisation and mitigation of the impacts of COVID-19 is evolving rapidly (e.g. the potential introduction of rapid antigen testing). Given this, SNLCC confirms to its members its intention to work in good faith, as new information and recommendations come to hand, and to do its utmost to introduce the latest and complementary measures to further minimise risks.
SNLCC notes that this policy is based upon the information currently available from Government and is subject to change as we learn and understand more about how New Zealand manages the fight against COVID-19 in our communities and workplaces. In addition, the Government may mandate that SNLCC take certain steps. This policy may be revoked, amended or replaced at SNLCC’s sole discretion on reasonable notice in the circumstances at that time.
Review
This policy will be closely monitored by the SNLCC Club Manager. The SNLCC Risk and Audit Committee will take responsibility for reviewing and updating this policy and risk assessment as needed in consultation with SNLCC Executive and Junior Committees.
Policy reviewed by: Executive Committee and Junior Committee