Without wishing to add to the panic & hysteria currently surrounding the coronavirus outbreak (psst - I’ll pay top dollar for toilet rolls!), I thought it might be useful to outline some of the steps & measures that we and the Federation are taking to try to minimise the spread of the virus. Most of it follows a basic common sense approach as well as the emerging government guidance on the subject.
Whilst not a comprehensive list, here is just some of what we are doing:
We are asking all students to wash their hands before & after class. Soap and paper towels are in plentiful supply to allow you to do so correctly. The Instructors are also washing their hands before & after every class. At Prestwich, you should currently smell of love hearts as that’s the soap we have out!
We are wiping down all the high traffic areas & surfaces in our Centres - you name it; we’re cleaning it every day!
We are changing the way in which classes are delivered in order to minimise the amount of student-to-student and student-to-instructor contact - air drills anyone? Plus we are focusing on some areas of the syllabus over others (eg: Hyungs & sparring)
If we do use pads, these may be held only by your Instructor or we are issuing students with their own pads during class which are then being disinfected after every use. That swimming pool smell of chlorine is not Mr Nelson’s new cologne.
We have disinfectant wipes out for any student who wishes to use them during class - they smell lovely!
We are keeping a close watch on students & if they show any signs of illness, we may just have a quick chat to see what symptoms you have!
The Federation is also playing it’s part:
They have amended the syllabus to remove the areas of high person-to-person contact (eg: self defence, knife self defences, sleeve grabs, etc)
They will be recording online classes for students to practice at home if they miss class for any reason
They are exploring live streaming of classes for people to join in with should their centre be closed
They have changed the April Graduation from a single large gathering at the Essa Academy to smaller affairs held at the Full Time Centres
So as you can see, there’s lots being done, but you need to play your part too:
Wash your hands before & after class (as well as regularly during the day)
Stay healthy - keep hydrated, eat healthily & stay off the booze
If you feel ill, self-isolate for the required period - currently 7 days
We’ll still be there when you get back & when all this is over. Let’s look after ourselves & each other team. Oh - and stop panic buying toilet rolls!
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