BFC Winter Training Safety Protocols
(Based on Shelburne Field House, VSA, CDC and VT Department of Health Guidelines)
BFC strives to keep our soccer community safe and healthy. As a club, we will do our part to adhere to all guidelines and protocols that are for the good of our immediate and the broader community. Our goal is to keep our players training and having fun in a safe and healthy environment.
The information below outlines the guidance, as of January 3, 2022, that BFC is following regarding isolation and quarantining, and additional guidance around recommended testing:
Masking
All BFC players and coaches are required to wear masks properly covering the nose and mouth during the duration they are in the Shelburne Field House. Masks can be removed to drink water but must otherwise be properly worn 100% of the time. Please note that studies have shown that cloth masks do not provide defense against the Omicron variant, therefore BFC recommends that all players and coaches wear medical-grade masks.
Stay Home When Sick
It is imperative that all coaches and players stay home if they are showing symptoms, even if they are vaccinated. Please remember, coaches and players with any signs of illness should not attend any BFC trainings. We are still seeing high COVID-19 case counts in Vermont and we all need to do our part to keep our community safe.
Protocols at Shelburne Field House:
- Please use only the door entering into the Field House (not Shelburne Athletic Club).
- No lingering before or after training and games. Arrive dressed and ready for training.
- Arrive no more than 10 minutes prior to activity, and leave immediately after.
- Coaches are being reminded to start and end on time.
- Visitors must sanitize or wash their hands upon entry to SFH.
- Spectating is discouraged. If a parent/guardian does stay, please use the mezzanine level, stay distanced, and wear a mask for the duration of your time in SFH.
Players and Coaches on the Turf Area:
- Players must keep masks on during training and on and off the turf, with the exception of drinking water.
- Players must keep their bags and water spaced apart from other players’ belongings.
- Players will be allowed to have water breaks, but they must be socially distanced.
- Players are not allowed to share water bottles.
- No spitting allowed, including for goalkeepers.
- Even with a mask, please use proper sneeze and cough etiquette—sneeze and cough into elbow.
New Definition of Fully Vaccinated: Importance of Getting a Booster Shot
The CDC has updated their recommendations for quarantine, isolation, and how “fully vaccinated” is defined. Fully vaccinated means that a person has either:
- Completed a full course of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines within the last six months or received a J&J vaccine within the last two months, OR
- Completed a full vaccine course as defined above more than six months ago AND has also received a booster.
- Anything other than those two options is considered not fully vaccinated.
What to Do After Testing Positive
Here is the link to the most recent guidance from the state regarding the isolation timeline after a positive test. Some of the changes are outlined below:
How to Report Positive Test Results
- Email BFC Board Member and COVID contact, Kristin Allosso (allossok@gmail.com) to report a positive case.
- Please self-report all at-home positive antigen tests to the Vermont Department of Health here.
- Contact your doctor to report any positive test result and to get advice.
- Please note, a positive home antigen test does not require a follow up PCR test.
Isolation Timeline
The COVID positive person should isolate at home away from others.
- Stay home and isolate for 5 days.
- You never had symptoms, or your symptoms have improved and you feel better, AND
- You have had no fever for at least 24 hours without the use of medicine that reduces fevers, AND
- You wear a mask around others through day 10.
When possible, it is recommended that you have two negative antigen tests performed at least 24 hours apart beginning no earlier than day 4.
For more information, visit this site of the Vermont Department of Health webpage.
Notify Close Contacts
Please notify all close contacts about the positive diagnosis. And if a player has been to training and then tests positive, please notify the coach of that player's team and Kristin Allosso (allossok@gmail.com), BFC's COVID contact immediately. BFC will notify the team to protect your privacy. A close contact is a person who is within 6 feet or closer for 15 minutes or longer in a 24 hour period. The infectious period begins 2 days before the start of symptoms or 2 days before the positive test if there are no symptoms. Due to the nature of a typical training session where players are often in close space, we will notify everyone on a team if a player on that team reports a positive test.
What to do if You are a Close Contact
The Vermont Department of Health has a webpage dedicated with information on what to do if you or your child is identified as a close contact based on their vaccination status.
Helpful Links
VT COVID-19 Recovery Resource Center
VT Forward COVID-19 Decision Tree
BFC will continually follow the guidance put forth by the Vermont Dept of Health and the CDC in making the most prudent decisions regarding masking and other COVID-19 concerns in order to keep our community safe. We will update the BFC community with any changes to these current guidelines as they become available.