Squash & Racketball and Tier2/High Risk Covid Areas

Dear [[firstname]]

As you will be all too aware, last Wednesday 14th October the Solihull area was placed into a Tier 2 Covid category (also referred to as ‘High Risk’).

This was unexpected, not only by us, but also by a number of national sporting associations including England Squash. It does appear that no dialogue had taken place between the Government and the relevant associations before the announcement was made and we had to make our own interpretation of how this impacted squash.

Since then we have received several releases of updated guidance from England Squash and we can now share this with our members:-

1) Firstly, and of the greatest impact on our senior members, it is confirmed that normal squash games between two adult members can only be allowed between people from the same household or household 'bubble'.

2) Play within the previous ‘squash bubbles’ of 6 players is suspended until further notice.

3) Single player ‘solo practice’ is allowed for all members.

4) One-to-one coaching by qualified coaches is permitted for adults, providing social distancing is observed.

5) For Juniors (18 years and under) coach led supervised activity for up to 15 participants from different households is permitted.

Our only realistic chance to get back into the situation where ‘full squash’ between any members is possible would appear to be for the Solihull area to succeed in reducing the level of new weekly infections of Covid-19 per 100,000 people back down to well below 100 (latest actual figure for 12th to 18th October is 205). There is no guidance to the precise figure required, so we can only hope that the infection rate is quickly brought down and government responds promptly to that happening.

In the meantime it is great to see so many Squash members playing tennis and those courts remain available for your use until at least the end of December.

We will of course advise when any updates to these latest restrictions are announced.

Many thanks,

Richard Lowe.
Squash and Racketball Chairman.