Dear Members, Please read this important statement from our Chief Medical Officer.

Dear IHACT Members,
There are a lot of concerns across our community about COVID-19 and the impact this may have on the upcoming hockey season. 

At this time, the season is set to go ahead as there is no advice to cancel sporting activities. In fact, keeping active, along with eating healthy food and getting enough sleep, can help you stay as health as possible over the coming months. There may come a time where some games may have to be cancelled or postponed, but this decision will be made based on the ACT Health/ACT Government advice. As the situation changes, which is happening rapidly, we will keep you updated as best we can.  

In the meantime, there are things that you can do to keep yourself and others in our hockey community healthy:

• If you are sick, DO NOT attend training, games (whether IHACT sanctioned or drop-in), or as a spectator. Please stay home, rest and recover, and keep your germs (whatever they happen to be) to yourself. If you are concerned about your symptoms, please see your GP or call HealthDirect (1800 022 222 or visit Healthdirect.gov.au).
• While playing, please DO NOT spit onto the ice or around the benches. Not only is it unpleasant, it also spreads germs. 
• If you wear a mouthguard, please keep it in your mouth throughout the training/game. Taking it out, putting it down on the benches, putting back in your mouth spreads germs to you and others (and is also unpleasant). 
• At the end of games, keep your gloves on and fist-bump rather than shaking hands. 

Outside of hockey, here are some other things you should be doing:

• –    WASH YOUR HANDS frequently, with soap and water, for at least 20sec – so none of the ‘quick rinse and shake’ please! If washing is not an option, please use hand sanitiser. Its recommended that you wash/sanitise your hands before eating, before touching your face, after going to the toilet, and after touching any ‘frequently touched surfaces’ (door handles, hand rails, lift buttons etc). 
• Try to stay as healthy as possible. This means eating healthy food, maintaining regular exercise, getting enough sleep, and keeping your stress/anxiety levels to a minimum. 
• If you usually go to a gym, keep going but wipe down the equipment before and after you use it (using the wipes the gym provides). Regular exercise will keep you healthy and will also keep your stress/anxiety levels down.
• Turn OFF the news – constantly hearing the media ‘doom and gloom’ will be adding to your anxiety. Go for a walk outside instead.  
• Rely on factual and legitimate information from the Government websites (NOT the media or social media): ACT Health (health.act.gov.au) or the Australian Government Department of Health ( https://www.health.gov.au/). 
• If you are feeling stressed or anxious, talk to your family and friends about how you are feeling. You can also call BeyondBlue (1300 22 46 36) or go to their website for a list of other helplines and resources (https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/national-help-lines-and-websites)

If you are or get sick:
–    Stay home from work/school and other activities (including hockey!), and keep your germs to yourself. 
–    Cover coughs and sneezes with your elbow (NOT your hands) or a tissue. 
–    If using tissues – throw these straight in the bin and then wash your hands.
–    Its also important to wash your hands frequently when you are sick. 
–    If you live with others, keep a distance from them, try to contain yourself to one area of the house, and wipe down commonly touched surfaces within the house (door handles, light switches etc) with disinfectant wipes or a cleaner that combines a detergent and disinfectant (if not available – use a detergent product first then use the disinfectant).


If we all look out for each other and do the above, we can get through the months ahead. 

Yours in hockey (and good health!),

Dr Marlena Kaczmarek
Chief Medical Officer
Ice Hockey ACT 

We’re thrilled to see the quest for a new ice rink continue today with the release of a call for Expressions of Interest ahead of a Request for Tender process.

Increasing capacity will allow us to introduce more of the local community to the game we all love.