Orienteering Wellington's advice and procedures as they relate to COVID-19 were first published on 21 March 2020 and will be reviewed regularly. 

Procedures align to advice from Orienteering NZ, which follows the national guidelines set by the Ministry of Health.

Advice on attending events

Orienteering Wellington advises people not to attend any orienteering event:

• if they are over 70 years of age, have compromised immunity or respiratory conditions
• if they are unwell with a cough or fever or other respiratory symptoms
• if they have been in close contact with a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 until they have completed the 14-day quarantine period, even if they have no symptoms
• if they have returned from international travel and not yet completed the self-quarantine period for 14 days, even if they have no symptoms
• if they are undergoing COVID-19 testing, until they have received negative results and have no symptoms
• if they have been advised to stay at home by a health professional.

Some competitors fit within groups that are more vulnerable to COVID-19: 

• those over 65 and/or 
• those with a compromised immune system 
• others with underlying health conditions.

Competitors in these groups are advised to take particular care and/or make decisions about their attendance at events, with due consideration to the risks associated with COVID-19.

Event procedures

Orienteering Wellington will take reasonable precautions to reduce the risk to orienteers, officials and volunteers to reduce the chance of transmitting COVID-19 and encourage physical distancing. 

We need you to:

• bring your own water
• bring your own hand sanitiser (if you can)
• follow good hygiene practices
• keep your map after the event
• make electronic payments—our bank account number is 03-0525-0416981-000 and will be printed on all maps
• observe physical distancing. Physical distancing means remaining 1 metre away from other people—or if you are closer than 1 metre, being there for less than 15 minutes.

Orienteering Wellington will: 

• remove bottlenecks or areas where people may congregate
• provide hand washing or sanitising facilities at key locations including toilets and finish areas
• make sure that touchscreen devices (e.g., registration tablet) are only used by nominated event personnel 
• refund people who withdraw for health reasons
• collect contact information so that people can be traced should someone who tests positive for COVID-19 come into contact with others
• reduce the opportunity for people to congregate at events 
• provide protective equipment, disinfectant and briefing to event volunteers, and ensuring hard surfaces such as tables are regularly wiped clean
• require registration and payment online rather than clip cards or cash
• arrange starts and finishes to provide for physical distancing. 

What is COVID-19?

COVID-19 is a new virus that can affect your lungs and airways. It’s caused by a type of coronavirus. For most people, COVID-19 won’t lead to severe complications. However, some people can become very sick. COVID-19 is a highly communicable disease for which there is currently no vaccine.

The symptoms of COVID-19 are: 

• a fever (at least 38°C)  
• a cough 
• shortness of breath.

These symptoms do not necessarily mean you have COVID-19. The symptoms are similar to other illnesses that are much more common, such as colds and flu. Current evidence suggests that it takes 2–10 days for symptoms to appear.

Like the flu, COVID-19 can be transmitted from person to person. The scientific evidence confirms that COVID-19 is spread by droplets. When an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks, they may generate droplets containing the virus. These droplets are too large to stay in the air for long, so they quickly settle on surrounding surfaces.

People may get infected by the virus if they touch those surfaces or objects, and then touch their mouth, nose or eyes. 

That’s why it’s really important to use good hygiene, regularly wash and thoroughly dry your hands, and use good cough and sneeze etiquette—into a disposable tissue or into your elbow. 

People who contract COVID-19 need to self-isolate to prevent transmitting the virus to others. The Government has imposed strict controls around public events and gatherings. As of Monday 16 March 2020, outdoor gatherings of more than 500 people were  banned in New Zealand. On Thursday 19 March, indoor gatherings of more than 100 people were banned. 

General information and resources to help keep you and others safe, healthy, and protected can be found at Unite against COVID-19.