Secondly, please don’t misquote me. What I actually said:
“We can only ensure we are protecting ourselves and being assertive in asking for a safe personal space, and if they resist they should be asked to leave the grounds.”
“Volunteers have the right to forego their position if they feel their safety is in jeopardy. It is not their position to feel like they have to police every group of people and defend the protocols of the facility”
I am DEFENDING volunteers. I have also been dedicated to my local venue for the last 16 years in every possible capacity. From volunteer (of the year once), board member, announcer, competitor and now XC coordinator. So, respectfully, you can soften your attack mode.
This is a discussion, not an attempt to say “I’m right and everyone else is wrong”. That’s what forums are for. We exchange ideas in a respectful way.
Maybe I am enlightened to new ideas, maybe someone else is. In fact, I specifically said “Discuss”.
I know that @ACMEeventing has already addressed your post but I just want to add that I read the original post totally differently than you do. I read it as - it is not fair to a volunteer to be put in a position where they are forced to try to enforce a rule that it is obvious by now is not a rule that will be easy to enforce. Having, more than once, been in a volunteer situation where I was expected to enforce rules that had more exceptions than teeth (think patrons tent), I will never do it again. Running warm-up is a breeze compared to a job like that.
I think the OP is suggesting we attempt to make rules that use some common sense and rules that will make it more possible to have them followed.
For those of you wondering about return to your normal lives (and yes, I would really LOVE to go out to dinner and a play at some point), Europe has done far better than we have. Here is a Washington Post article. Look at the graphs from JHU in the article:
Going forward, I’m curious what others think the guidelines should be for our Eventing venues. Knowing that our opinions are just that, and likely not to influence decisions made by USEF.
Here in NC, our Governor has issued directives that limit gathering of more than 10 people inside, or 25 people outside. Masks are encouraged.
I think the biggest hurdle is going to be finding the balance between realistic and enforceable rules, and participants’ willingness to cooperate. When the rule is “all masks all the time”, what we end up with is frustrated volunteers, and a higher incidence of interactions as they attempt enforcement. Vague guidelines are an exercise in futility.
So, what do we wish the rulebook was?
For me, I would say groups of 5 or less that are in the same family or barn group can be unmasked unless within 6 feet of a different group. All staff to be masked in the office or when conducting official business with participants. Volunteers can be unmasked if their job does not require them to be closer than 6 feet from participants. Masks are always an option for everyone even if not required.
Basically, it’s 6 feet or mask.
And if you feel sick - stay home!
CHP did a fantastic job at our opening competition with hands free entries and jump judge check in. The safety brief was done by radio after they were placed at their fences. Temperatures were taken on arrival and entrance to the park was limited to two: one for horses, one for volunteers and officials. I kept my mask with me at all times and used it anytime I would be interacting. I did not wear hot while driving the cart alone through the park.
I’m in a mask 40 hours a week, a little break out in the woods was lovely!
Joan from Flatlandsfoto here in Area 1. We have not returned to eventing yet here but Im hoping that will change in July. Horse shows are actually not allowed per governor;s orders here in MA but I did attend one schooling 2 phase before that order came down and masks were required by everyone on grounds except when mounted and it worked very well. I literally only saw one person not wearing a mask when they should have (on their way to the portapot) and I let them know they needed to “get 'er back on”. No one was complaining. They were so happy to be out and about again.
For events I would like to see masks required at all times when not mounted. Simple enforceable rule. Black and white. People will not just stay w their pods nor will they stay 6’ away. We are social creatures by nature. I realize masks do not prevent the virus but if they help decrease the spray of droplets or spread of viral load, Im all for them and will wear mine out of respect for all others on the property.
I have also seen limits to the numbers of “support crews” at competitions. Im guessing this isnt enforceable but certainly something people can do to limit the numbers in attendance.
I am an eventing photographer by profession and I am just plain terrified at where the income is going to come from for me to be able to pay my bills through the fall and winter. Our season here in Area 1 is short to begin with. I really want people to follow the rules laid down by these events not only so we can enjoy or sport but for selfish reasons as well. I want to continue being out on course photographing our sport for a living and still be able to pay my bills!
I am not anti-mask. I wear one a lot at work (any time I am not actually sitting at my desk and any time someone is talking to me at my desk), I wear it when shopping, etc.
I am also a volunteer who is willing to stand in the rain all day at a job that provides no option for shelter.
If masks are required 100% for everyone all the time I am likely to not volunteer. I just can not see the need for a mask while I am standing alone in the middle of a field holding my own clipboard and pen.
Have any of the places that have had events that required a mask 100% all the time had problems with people being understood on the radios? Has it cut down on the amount of volunteers they are getting (or are people just so excited to be out in the world again they do not mind)?
Edit to add: Because after reading the post after mine I feel the need to clarify - I can totally see the need for a mask at check in or when by others. 100% for that. I just do not see the need for everyone all the time when lots of people at an event are hanging out by themselves in a field.
After a couple of weeks of shows, I have to say the entitlement in this sport is starting to sicken me. I don’t understand what the big deal is on wearing a mask when you are near people. There are people at shows that are really, really fighting about doing this. I mean like telling off the stewards or calling USEF and telling them they are stepping on their constitutional rights. Whatever happened to etiquette? If I go to someone’s house and they ask me to take my shoes off at the door, I don’t tell them it is my constitutional right to wear my shoes! These are private facilities at a private club. Either play by the guidelines they set or stay home. It is so simple to me. I don’t care if the masks are doing nothing at all or curing COVID. We know almost nothing about COVID at this point; we are in the dark ages in terms of prevention. This is all we got at this point. Let’s just accept it and keep the shows running.
I’m not a scientist in that field, but I was intrigued by a study (actually a news report of a study) that said that people who had antibodies to some strains of the common cold well prior to fall 2019 appeared to get some protective effect, perhaps in the form of less severe disease when infected by Covid. The common cold is a (different) coronavirus.
There are also reports from Germany that of the really severe cases, a greater proportion of them come from high virus load events like street festivals. Or of infections thought to come from high virus load events like street festivals, the proportion of severe disease outcomes is higher.
As a casual observer, it’s clear to me that exposure is not a yes/no thing but a matter of degree and dose.
Crucial to avoid prolonged exposure to high virus loads. Quite safe and maybe possibly protective to be exposed to very low doses, because with low doses you either don’t get infected or if infected POSSIBLY have low chance of a bad case while stimulating antibodies.
Backstory is the professed anti-vaxxer and world no 1 Djokovic organized tennis comps in Croatia and Serbia with no covid protective measures or social distancing (rules had been relaxed there).
There was lots of partying that went along with these events.
The final match in last weeks tournament was aborted at the last minute because one of the players returned a positive covid test. This was in the wake of other players, trainers, etc testing positive.
The idiot Djokovic declined to take a test in Croatia, saying he had no symptoms. So he flew home to Belgrade where he finally did take a test. Both he and his wife are positive.
Full marks to the controversial tennis player Nick Kyrgios who‘d been blasting Djokovic for organizing this debacle on the grounds that it was a public health hazard. As Kyrgios said on Twitter, for all the times he’s been called out on his behavior, he’s never done anything even close to this.
Horse shows would be wise not to go the Djokovic route. What arrogance.
Just so people know there is a rule on the books that allows officials to yellow card competitors for being rude to volunteers. I don’t know the exact wording but it is a possibility. It is a recourse that volunteers have if they feel they have suffered abuse from competitors. So if it is going on the officials need to know about it so they can yellow card.
I have also seen reports that those with a more severe infection appear to have higher levels of antibodies than those with a subclinical infection. Whether the antibody level correlates with resistance to reinfection remains to be seen.
I will also add that the IG testing is horribly unreliable. The sensitivity/specificity just isn’t there.
Coworkers with active symptoms and a positive swab tested negative for IgM 11 days into their illness. I have yet to meet someone in person that had the virus and tested positive for IgG 4 weeks later. Including myself.
And I had a fairly severe illness considering that I’m otherwise fit and healthy. My viral load was massive and exposure time was over 90 minutes.
It is the reality of being a healthcare worker (and specifically Anesthesia). Airway manipulation has the highest rate of virus transmission of any other patient interaction at 8%.
One of the biggest mistakes any management can make is to pitch the job of ‘gatekeeper’ to someone who is perceived as low in the hierarchy relative to those who are likely to push boundaries. A volunteer greeter or a low-level hourly worker are not the people to ask to hold the line with people are perceived to be more expert, more financially invested, just ‘more’ in the show context. Regardless of verbiage about respecting the gatekeeper yada yada.
The entitlement problem is right up there with the BNT who dominates the warm-up ring and interferes with everyone who isn’t his/her student … and show management won’t speak up. It can’t be up to the ring steward who is volunteering to hold a clipboard for a few hours, not to confront a high-status professional who is firmly pushing back.
The volunteer greeter who is getting pushback needs to be able to step back and call in the enforcers. The show management has to deal with it from there.
A local financial business has the right sign on the door. I don’t remember all the details exactly, but basically "By entering this building you are agreeing to: … " and there is a list of things from have no signs of illness, have temperature taken, will wear a mask and gloves, and some other things. Make it clear that the action of participating is their agreement.
Show management needs to have a game plan for various scenarios, so they can be prepared for an awkward situation. This needs to be considered carefully well ahead of time, in coordination with all those involved in show management.
The volunteers need to be instructed on ‘what to do if’. What to say. Who to call. When to take these steps. With written instructions that they can refer to during the day.
Those who are designated with the authority to step in and sort out the situation have to stay prepared to do so promptly throughout the day.
And, show management needs to be ready days after the show when the bad actors start telling the fictional version of their story to everyone who will listen. After the show it’s important to build good feelings for compliance, not resistance to authority.
Leaving it to people to figure it out on the fly is going to be a rough go all around. People who come to compete come with their adrenaline already at least a bit high. The situation is primed for awkwardness by someone, somewhere, and maybe those who brought the most entries. Preparation is as important as execution.
My friend had a positive IgG more than 4 weeks later. This was confirmed via multiple positive tests.
However, she had a negative test before the positive one. She thought the test might have been compromised, so she retested with a different test and then got the positive result (which was reconfirmed for UCLA’s plasma program). The lab that did her first positive actually asked her to go to another of their labs to test their tests - labs were ordering tests but had no idea of quality/accuracy.
Her illness was mild. When she was sick, she was refused a test because her temp wasn’t high enough or some other non-reason. She was in a traveling group that had many infections and had been in all the Euro covid hotspots. It was unbelievably irresponsible to refuse to test her.
