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Important updates on practice schedules and boat maintenance

6/8/2020

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We had previously said that we were considering beginning OC practices on July 1, hopefully to coincide with entering Phase 2 of the opening plan. 

Since then, new guidelines have become available for outdoor activities for Phase 2. There will still be a recommended 6 foot distancing, which as we know isn't possible on an OC-6 with more than three paddlers. However, the guidelines do offer some flexibility for outdoor sports. We will continue to consider opening OC practices to coincide with Phase 2 in Multnomah County, which will likely be around mid-July.

We do have an additional consideration in light of the recent protests. Large crowds have gathered, some without masks. The Oregon Health Authority is watching the situation carefully, and I receive daily updates from them. Should COVID cases begin to rise again, the OHA guidelines may change. The OHA does expect a slight rise in reported cases because of increased testing. Those increases will be accounted for in determining a cause-effect relationship of an increase in positive COVID cases due to the protests. 

Again, we thank you for your patience. We are monitoring the situation closely and are keeping the safety of our members as our top priority.

We will send another message prior to the end of June with an update on the situation and timing of resumption of OC practices.

Please stay healthy and safe.

Prior announcement dated 5/11/2020:

We have been closely tracking the Governor’s re-opening plan. See the latest guidelines here.

Based on the most recent information, we have a somewhat better idea of how we can all get back on the water. The Governor’s plan calls for three stages that are implemented on a region-by-region basis. The information provided indicates that we may be able to resume outrigger canoe (OC) practices during Phase II, and dragon boat practices during Phase III. We are considering this phased approach for DragonSports even though in an OC, you still may not be able to put the recommended six feet in between yourself and other paddlers at all times. 

Under the current guidelines and projected timeline, we are planning to resume OC practices on July 1 using the current master schedule. Some adjustments to the current schedule will likely need to be made to avoid congestion on the dock and to allow teams the time to properly sanitize the boats. So that more teams can get on the water, we are asking those teams that are currently on the schedule to evaluate their projected needs between now and June 15 and to email outrigger@dragonsports.org to confirm your continued reservations. For those teams that are interested in scheduling OC time starting July 1, please send an email to outrigger@dragonsports.org by June 15 with your preferred days/times. If there is significant interest, we may ask teams to alternate weeks for practicing and reserve the right to further adjust the schedule based on actual use. 

For all requests, please note that you must have a certified OC steersperson. Unfortunately, we cannot arrange for new training at this time but we may be able to help you find one from our current pool of steers.

We are currently planning on resuming dragon boat practices in Phase III, with the earliest possible start date projected as October 1. We are currently constructing racks at the warehouse and plan to move many, if not all of the dragon boats off of the water until then. We will provide further updates about dragon boat schedules once Phase II commences and opportunities to help volunteer with maintenance as they arise. 

Thank you for your continued support of DragonSports (and your patience!).
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