Re-opening rinks with social distancing

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ZilphaK

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Here's one rink that opened- people in the stands, no masks on anyone, kleenex boxes all lined up on the barrier, definitely more than 8 people on the ice at a time. This is in Tampa, where cases keep rising. Florida had its deadliest week https://www.tampabay.com/news/healt...tate-prepares-for-first-weekend-of-reopening/ I have zero hope the rest of the country won't experience the horror the NYC region has and continues to.

Wow. They have balls.
 

Yuri

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813
I guess all the Florida ice rinks must be reopening as one of my best friends who coaches in West Palm Beach is back to work this week. But a top rink in my region is still being used as a morgue...
 
Z

ZilphaK

Guest
I guess all the Florida ice rinks must be reopening as one of my best friends who coaches in West Palm Beach is back to work this week. But a top rink in my region is still being used as a morgue...

From what I've read in Florida Governor’s Executive Order 20-112 , Phase 1 opening in Florida says no indoor sports facilities or a $500 fine and possible jail time. The Florida Chamber of Commerce has this question specific to ice rinks and the answer is "no."

"Florida Statute 252.50 speaks to penalties for persons or businesses that violate any rules or orders made pursuant to a state of emergency. The penalty is a misdemeanor of the second degree and includes up to 60 days in jail and up to a $500 fine. Additionally, if you’re subject to state licensure, state agencies such as the Department of Business and Professional Regulation have been directed to utilize its authorities under Florida Law, which could mean suspension or a revocation of licensure. "
 

spinZZ

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216
From what I've read in Florida Governor’s Executive Order 20-112 , Phase 1 opening in Florida says no indoor sports facilities or a $500 fine and possible jail time. The Florida Chamber of Commerce has this question specific to ice rinks and the answer is "no."

"Florida Statute 252.50 speaks to penalties for persons or businesses that violate any rules or orders made pursuant to a state of emergency. The penalty is a misdemeanor of the second degree and includes up to 60 days in jail and up to a $500 fine. Additionally, if you’re subject to state licensure, state agencies such as the Department of Business and Professional Regulation have been directed to utilize its authorities under Florida Law, which could mean suspension or a revocation of licensure. "
Yeah, but look what happened to the owner of the Dallas hair salon who did not comply with the governor's executive order. She got jailed, but government officials...including the governor himself...sprung her (https://www.texastribune.org/2020/05/07/texas-dallas-salon-owner-********/); and the governor removed jail time retroactively.
 
Z

ZilphaK

Guest
Texas is allowing rinks to open on May 18.

Skate Dallas has been cancelled.

Do you know whether they have any protocols/restrictions made public for using the rinks? Again, trying to work with our local rink, but it's hard to find info on exactly what rinks are doing to open. I know all areas are different, but it would be good to work out any "we didn't think of that!" beforehand. I hadn't considered parking lots and pick-up line procedures until a rink in BC mentioned it.
 

Debbie S

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Small group lessons would seem to be incompatible with social distancing. Unless/until a vaccine or effective treatment is developed, the emphasis should be on keeping skaters (and coaches) as far apart as possible.
 
Z

ZilphaK

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Small group lessons would seem to be incompatible with social distancing. Unless/until a vaccine or effective treatment is developed, the emphasis should be on keeping skaters (and coaches) as far apart as possible.

I was thinking more like what the US Olympic Committee is suggesting. Keeping one coach with a "pod" of athletes and that pod trains together. Not so much like Learn To Skate where there are a bunch of little kids all doing swizzles at one time, but one coach at wall with her/his 5 or 6 skaters on ice, working on what needs to be worked on, more like a one-room schoolhouse. There could be some overlap, maybe if two kids working on single flip, two on double, etc. I would assume in that situation, costs could be cut a bit because it's not truly private. The other benefit is that if anyone in the pod gets ill, only that group might have to quarantine, depending....

Unless we're saying there's no coaching at all until a vaccine. That's different.

ETA: Meh...

You're probably right. This whole thing just rests like a Rubik's cube in my head, trying to figure out solutions. It stops me from falling into deep pits of despair. :(
 
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MacMadame

Doing all the things
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You're probably right. This whole thing just rests like a Rubik's cube in my head, trying to figure out solutions. It stops me from falling into deep pits of despair. :(
Your county and state public health officers should be a resource for this. They have done way more research than any one of us and will be issuing guidelines that may have the force of law behind them. The rinks and clubs should be talking to them and working together on guidelines.
 
Z

ZilphaK

Guest
Your county and state public health officers should be a resource for this. They have done way more research than any one of us and will be issuing guidelines that may have the force of law behind them. The rinks and clubs should be talking to them and working together on guidelines.
We are. The guidelines are specific in some ways, but general in others. They aren't going to get into the nitty-gritty of the details for every single business or situation. There are 7 rinks within a 50 square mile area, all with different set-ups and clientele. We need to be proactive in thinking through the specifics of our rink.
 
Z

ZilphaK

Guest
@MacMadame
I'm sure we're overthinking some things. I think the consensus is to overdo the rules at first and we can dial back. But it's hard to open and then put more restrictions in place if things aren't working. It's like parenting. At beginning of summer I have chore charts and a bunch or rules for using at least some of their time wisely (or even awake). It works pretty well at first, but by the end of summer, my son is feral. ;)
 

concorde

Well-Known Member
Messages
636
Here's one rink that opened- people in the stands, no masks on anyone, kleenex boxes all lined up on the barrier, definitely more than 8 people on the ice at a time. This is in Tampa, where cases keep rising. Florida had its deadliest week https://www.tampabay.com/news/healt...tate-prepares-for-first-weekend-of-reopening/ I have zero hope the rest of the country won't experience the horror the NYC region has and continues to.
I don't think that is correct information. What we noticed is that many venue websites have a -19 blanket statement about closures but have not updated their actual schedules. The real status of rinks are typically listed on their Facebook pages.

If you go to the Tampa Bay facebook page, an early May facebook page suggests that the rink will open the following weekend but there is no announcement it did. My guess is the photos are all pre-19 photos.

Florida only started Phase 1 on May 4. Under Phase 1, all gyms and fitness venues are to remain closed. Under Florida Phase 2, gyms and fitness venues can open at 75% capacity. No date has been set for Phase 2.

Fyi. My mom has a house in Florida and we are deciding whether to go there. So we have been tracking the status of Florida rink for about a month.
 

Allisanna

Active Member
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247
I don't think that is correct information. What we noticed is that many venue websites have a -19 blanket statement about closures but have not updated their actual schedules. The real status of rinks are typically listed on their Facebook pages.

If you go to the Tampa Bay facebook page, an early May facebook page suggests that the rink will open the following weekend but there is no announcement it did. My guess is the photos are all pre-19 photos.

Florida only started Phase 1 on May 4. Under Phase 1, all gyms and fitness venues are to remain closed. Under Florida Phase 2, gyms and fitness venues can open at 75% capacity. No date has been set for Phase 2.

Fyi. My mom has a house in Florida and we are deciding whether to go there. So we have been tracking the status of Florida rink for about a month.
Under "most recent" there are videos and comments from a few days ago. So that rink definitely opened back up.
 

Orm Irian

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Skate Canada has released Return to Skating guidelines. Provincial governments are in charge of when rinks can reopen and presumably of persons-per-square-metre rules limiting numbers on the ice, but the rest of these look fairly sensible.

Limiting the number of people in the space where training is happening is going to be critical, though. Breathing is how this lungi spreads most of all, and the deeper breathing associated with things like exercise and singing raise the risks considerably. There are case studies of one infected person passing it on to half a restaurant, and one sick person at a socially distanced choir practice still infecting more than half the group.
 

antmanb

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If there are strict limits on numbers of skaters on the ice at any one time that ice is going to get very expensive which will act as a further barrier to people getting back on the ice.
 

Orm Irian

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If there are strict limits on numbers of skaters on the ice at any one time that ice is going to get very expensive which will act as a further barrier to people getting back on the ice.

~shrugs~ Them's the breaks if you want to skate while it's still a high-risk activity.
 

antmanb

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12,639
~shrugs~ Them's the breaks if you want to skate while it's still a high-risk activity.

I wasn't giving an opinion one way or the other it was just an observation - if fewer skaters are allowed on the ice then the per person cost of that ice is going to go up a lot and skaters will have less availability of ice...I wonder if anyone will actually bother - less ice, higher cost, is it worth even trying to get back to where they were in these circumstances, or can they even afford to do so?
 

kittyjake5

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bladesofgorey

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unbelievable.
Editing to add: it's not just the coaches and teams that are put in danger, it's the rink staff (especially cleaning staff) and any rink patrons who are near the hockey boxes for their own sessions.
 

Rock2

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3,725
If there are strict limits on numbers of skaters on the ice at any one time that ice is going to get very expensive which will act as a further barrier to people getting back on the ice.

My thoughts exactly. I'm curious to see how the economics play out, which could be different, rink to rink.

It's the contact sports teams and large classes that will be coming back last. I wonder if the higher-level skaters will be able to fill up some of that unused capacity with more ice time to catch up....?
 

overedge

Mayor of Carrot City
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35,798
My thoughts exactly. I'm curious to see how the economics play out, which could be different, rink to rink.

It's the contact sports teams and large classes that will be coming back last. I wonder if the higher-level skaters will be able to fill up some of that unused capacity with more ice time to catch up....?

I can't imagine how learn-to-skate classes are going to be feasible (or affordable as @antmanb points out re capacity vs ice cost) for the foreseaable future.
 

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