As sectors of society continue to re-open following COVID-related closures, we are reviewing the requirements for the re-opening of live bridge with the health authorities. The CBAI has prepared and submitted a generic risk assessment in respect of bridge clubs, which forms the basis of our discussions. The entire document is included at the end of this post, and ultimately all clubs will need to do a specific risk assessment exercise themselves before they do re-open, but the key points are:

  • Public health regulations seem likely to permit indoor gatherings of more than 50 people in the near future
  • That will mean bridge clubs can re-open for live bridge, provided that they can minimise the risk of COVID-19 infection for their attendees
  • In our generic risk assessment, we are recommending that clubs put in place the following protective measures:
    • Each club should appoint a COVID officer responsible for managing the club’s approach, communicating it to members, and dealing with any issues that arise
    • Only club members can play, and all attendees must be fully vaccinated
    • Perspex table screens should be used at all tables
    • Players should wear face masks on entry and exit, and when moving around, but masks are not necessary at the table if screens are being used
    • Playing rooms should be well-ventilated
    • Tables should be spaced out to ensure that players are suitably distanced, and players should avoid congregating
    • Equipment should not be shared amongst the players where possible – sharing cards is unavoidable for most clubs, but players should use one bidding box throughout, and only North should touch the boards and the scoring equipment
    • Players should sanitise their hands regularly, using an alcohol-based sanitiser
    • Any member infected by, or showing symptoms of, COVID-19, or who has recently been abroad or in close contact with a suspected COVID-19 case, should NOT attend live bridge under any circumstances

There are a number of moderately-priced technological aids available that clubs could consider, including non-contact digital thermometers for checking player temperatures, air purifiers to cleanse the air regularly, CO2 monitors to ensure air quality, and UVC disinfectant wands for equipment cleaning. On this point, it should be noted that several local authorities are offering grants to support sports and other clubs in meeting the financial burden of implementing COVID-19 related hygiene and social distancing protocols. We are aware of several clubs that have availed of these grants to purchase perspex screens, extra sets of boards or bidding boxes, and sanitising equipment. In most cases, the grant must be matched by some club funds. We are happy to supply formal quotations to any clubs applying for these grants.

Once we have finalised our discussions with the health bodies, each club must review the resulting recommendations in light of its own specific circumstances, and the committee must be confident that the club can protect its members appropriately before taking the decision to re-open for live bridge. Ultimately, it is the club itself that is responsible for the safety of its members, and failure to adhere to public health regulations, or a negligent approach to member safety, may invalidate the club’s insurance cover.

We will continue to keep clubs informed of progress on this, and hopefully it will not be too much longer before we are able to sit, safely, at the actual rather than the virtual bridge table again. Many thanks to Seamus Costello for his invaluable work in tailoring the risk assessment process specifically for bridge clubs.

CBAI Generic Risk Assessment
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