Tag: 2019n-cov

After conducting a survey, we have collated the responses and vast majority have feedback against the postponement of Asia Open + CASNCC.

As such, we would like to announce that Asia Open + CASNCC 2020 will NOT be postponed and will proceed as usual on 4th and 5th April.

Safety and health of our participants and spectators remain our top priority and the following precautionary measures will be in place during the event.

Temperature Screening
All participants and spectators will be required to undergo screening before entry/re-entry into the venue.

At temperature taking stations, those with any/combination of the following symptoms will be denied entry into the venue:

1. Fever
2. Runny nose
3. teary eyes
4. cough
5. shortness of breath

For individuals with temperature 37.6 degree celsius and above, they will be advised to rest for 10 minutes before re-taking temperature. If temperature remains 37.6 and above after re-measurement, individuals will be advised to go home/hotel and/or seek medical attention.

Participants who are denied entry will not be allowed to participate in the competition. There will be no refund for the competition fees.

There will be no refund for entry ticket holders who are denied entry. 

We urge everyone to practice social responsibility to help prevent the spread of the virus.

Travel History and Health  Declaration
All participants and spectators will be required to fill in a travel and health declaration form before temperature screening. The personal contact information collected will remain confidential and will be submitted to the Singapore government should it be required for contact tracing. Participants’ travel and health information will be submitted under their organization during registration on Friday. All information declared in the form must be accurate. Any false declarations may result in persecution under the Infectious Diseases Act.

Recent visitors to China to refrain from attending the event
In view of the viral transmission of Covid-19, all participants/spectators who have returned from China within the last 14 days will not be allowed entry into the venue.

Hand Sanitizers
Hand sanitizers will be available at the temperature taking stations in the foyer.

Registration and Restricted Entry during Rehearsals
For rehearsals on Friday, 3rd April, only registered coaches,  participants, and registered chaperones are allowed entry into the venue. The registration of teams will take place on Friday. Teams who have scheduled rehearsals are advised to arrive early to process your registration to obtain event IDs. Individuals with no event IDs are not permitted to enter the venue on Friday.

Increased Frequency in Cleaning
The venue operators will be increasing the frequency in the cleaning of the venue. 

Toilet Facilities
Due to the layout of the community auditorium (competition venue),  access to toilet facilities within the venue will be available to the participants and event staff ONLY. This is to limit contact between the participants and spectators, creating a participants-access only zone. Spectators are to use the toilet facilities located OUTSIDE the auditorium.

The above measures will cause inconveniences but we urge everyone to cooperate with our staff to ensure the health and safety of all the event attendees. 

If you have any queries, please feel free to contact us via asiaopencheer@cheerleading.com.sg or follow us on our social media @asiaopencheer 

The latest confirmed cases in Singapore are as follows:

New cases: 3
Discharged today: 1
Total confirmed cases: 75
Total discharged: 9

Most in hospital are stable or improving. 5 remain in ICU (1 less than yesterday). Of the 3 new cases, 2 are linked to a known cluster and 1 is linked to a previous case. Our government has confirmed that COVID-19 is transmitted primarily through droplets and is more similar to H1N1, given its infectious nature like that of influenza but a far lower fatality rate than SARS. There is no plans or reason for the government to move to DORSCON red and there is currently no wide community spread.

Read: Coronavirus detection in Singapore ‘gold standard’ for case detection: Harvard study

Following the updates from our government, we are not sure when the number of cases will stop increasing given the infectiousness (albeit a lot less fatal than SARS) of COVID-19. We have received requests to postpone the event and we are preparing for contingency plans to postpone the events to the last weekend of May, 30^th-31^st May but we are NOT making the decision whether or not to postpone until latest 2^nd March. While the health and safety of our participants remain our top priority, we must take into consideration of our participants who have invested in travel plans.

IF YOUR TEAM WILL BE AFFECTED IF EVENTS ARE POSTPONED TO 30 to 31 MAY
If your teams will be affected by the postponement (e.g. you have committed to flights and accommodations, or your team will not be able to attend the events in May), please reach out to us via email asiaopencheer@cheerleading.com.sg or casncc@cheerleading.org.sg (please do not reply to this email) by this Friday, 21^st February.

For teams who are not affected by the postponement or in favour of the postponement, we seek your understanding and patience for the next 2 weeks before we make our announcement, while we attend to the affected teams.

To address some of the common questions raised in emails:

What are the procedures and costs involved in withdrawals?
For withdrawals, we will be extending our refund policy to 9^th March. Any withdrawal requests from now to 9^th March will be eligible for full competition refunds, less SGD25.00 administrative fee and bank fees (if applicable during the refund process).

What action would the event organizers take if one of the athletes contract COVID-19 from attending Asia Open + CASNCC 2020?
Firstly, if an athlete contract COVID-19 during the competition, symptoms are not likely to show until s/he has returned back to their home country. However, if it does happen, we will offer assistance and cooperate with the government to determine and contact clusters at risk. Participants are advised to purchase personal travel insurance as the competition fees do not include insurance coverage for the participants who gets injured or fall ill during the event.

Please stay safe in the meantime and if you have any queries, please feel free to contact us via email.

Update: 11-Feb-2020

As of 10 February, Singapore’s case summary is as follows:

Confirmed cases: 45
Cases tested negative: 581
Pending results: 39
Discharged: 7

There has been enquiries from teams regarding the status of Asia Open + CASNCC 2020. As of now, the championships will NOT be postponed.

The possibility of postponement will only be considered if the DORSCON status in Singapore reaches red level. Singapore is currently at level orange. While the confirmed cases 2019 nCOV may increase this month, it is unlikely that Singapore will reach DORSCON level red. To put things into perspective, taking reference from SARS outbreak in 2003, with 33 deaths and 238 infected people in Singapore, and schools were closed for 2 weeks, it would have been DORSCON level orange (DORSCON was drafted after the SARS incident and refined during the H1N1 swine flu pandemic in 2009). It took 2 months, from the first detected case of SARS in Singapore, for Singapore to be taken off the SARS list from World Health organization in 2 months (1 March to 30 May 2003). 

See: Sars in Singapore: Timeline

The biggest key for 2019-nCoV is that Singapore is much better prepared after experiencing SARS and H1N1. Our government’s multi-ministerial task force was announced a day before the first imported case was confirmed in Singapore and preparedness activities were already underway for rapid detection and response. Information on the cases and 2019-nCoV was readily available. Citizens can register for WhatsApp updates from the government, which was received regularly every day and information was available on government websites, portals, social media, major news outlets, and grassroot groups (all of which allowed us to make decisions regarding Asia Open + CASNCC). Singaporeans are still going on about our daily lives as usual, albeit with a heightened sense of personal hygiene and social responsibility. We remain hopeful that the situation will stabilize by the end of March. 

See Singapore’s approach to 2019n-CoV

• Fighting the Wuhan virus: How Singapore tackled previous epidemics
• The Big Read: 17 years on, Singapore puts SARS lessons to the test in fight against Wuhan coronavirus
• ‘This is different now’: Doctor who treated first Sars patient says S’pore is better prepared for Wuhan coronavirus
• As Asia Panics, One Country Wins Praise for Approach to Virus
• PM Lee Hsien Loong on the 2019-nCoV situation in Singapore on 8 February 2020 (video)
• PM Lee Hsien Loong on the 2019-nCoV situation in Singapore on 8 February 2020 (video transcript)

For latest updates on Singapore’s 2019n-Cov situation in Singapore, please refer to the following website
https://www.gov.sg/features/2019-ncov

In the meantime, we advise everyone to observe personal hygiene. The virus can only spread by droplets and physical contact. It does not go into the air therefore you cannot breathe it in. Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or alcohol (before you touch your face). Avoid touching your face with your hands and practice socially responsible measures such as cover your mouth with tissue paper (or into your elbows when tissue paper is not available) when sneezing or coughing. Wear a mask if you are sick and see a doctor promptly and avoid crowded places and stay home. 

Helpful Resources on 2019-nCoV:

• Infographics on 2019-nCoV
• Videos on 2019-nCoV
• 2019 Novel Coronavirus: How It Affects Your Daily Routine (Video by SG Gov)
• Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) (Video by WHO)

Regardless of the status of the DORSCON, Asia Open + CASNCC will be adopting precautionary measures as advised by the government. We will be carrying temperature screenings for all participants, staff, and spectators and will be on the lookout for respiratory symptoms such as cough or shortness of breath. Entry will be denied to unwell individuals (including participants). Frequency of cleaning commonly used areas will be increased. 

Please stay safe and if you have any enquiries or require assistance, please feel free to contact us at asiaopencheer@cheerleading.com.sg