Fri 10 December 2021
Dear Members,
It is with sorrow that I once again have to write and advise of the club reaction to yesterday’s announcement by HM Government increasing measures to prevent the spread of Covid 19.
Throughout Thursday I have consulted with my fellow Flag Officers, the Club Medical Advisor and the Club Management Team to agree a measured approach that we hope is acceptable to Members; please bear in mind our overriding priority must be to minimise as best we can the risk of spreading infection at Sussex Yacht Club and to make those members who have concerns, feel safe and welcome in their clubhouse.
To summarise:
- Office, cleaning and bar staff will continue to sanitise all regularly touched surfaces throughout the day and evening.
- Member and Public facing staff will recommence the practice of wearing masks or visors.
- Office staff will work from home where it is practical to do so but will not at this time, split into bubbles as they consider their risk of cross infection to be minimal. This will be regularly reviewed.
- Yard staff, cleaning staff and bar staff will continue as present to maintain operational efficiency.
- Office and bar opening hours will remain unchanged although Members should note the Christmas opening hours now published in the club and online.
- The bar will continue to offer Members the ability to order and collect a drink from the bar, there is no immediate plan to revert to table service only but this must be kept under review.
- Members are asked to wear masks when inside the club except when seated. This is not mandated and will not at this time be enforced, it is encouraged for the safety of others if not yourselves.
- The option of requesting sight of your Covid Pass or proof of a negative Covid test within 48 hours when entering the premises will be held as an option only at this time. If you have not downloaded your Covid Pass, it is suggested you do this as it is now mandated in some other public venues.
- At this time, events planned at the club between now and 2022 are still going ahead, and we have not seen signs of people wishing to cancel purchased tickets in the last 24/48 hours following the announcement from Downing Street.
We have a duty to maintain our premises as safe as we are able within sensible parameters and we trust you will consider the above reasonable.
For those of you who serve on committees, the club is recommending a return to the use of Teams or Zoom for meetings in the foreseeable future. The next Main Committee meeting will be held online and we will make a decision in January about whether we hold the Annual General Meeting in person or not. It may be we ask people to register attendance through our event booking system so we can monitor numbers and base a decision on this and the guidance in place at that time.
May I take this opportunity to wish every Member a very happy, peaceful and safe Christmas and a New Year hopefully better than the last two.
In sailing.
Kevin Headon
Club Commodore
Posted: December 10th 2021
