Your Safety: Our Priority

As we approach the holiday season and New Year, we are especially mindful of new challenges emerging with the Omicron variant of COVID-19 and encourage you to follow the Government‘s COVID-Ready Plan closely. While the Government is aiming for a transition from suppressing the entry of COVID-19 into SA to ‘living with the virus’ this is not an invitation for us to drop our guard.

All SA Aquatic & Leisure Centre activities are guided by Government and SA Health regulations and your continued cooperation the protections we have in place will enable us to keep our doors open and our fitness programmes and events active.

Measures to protect the health of our staff and patrons start at the front door. In keeping with advice from SA Health, we promote and support vaccination for all staff and where possible for our patrons as well.

Over the past 12 months, we have QR coded 1.3 million visits to ensure compliance with SA Health regulations and handed out more than 20,000 free masks for patrons who have forgotten theirs.

Looking to the New Year we would like to remind you of some important steps we have implemented, with partner and Government support, to upgrade our plant, procedures, and amenities to help keep the COVID-19 virus and variants like Omicron at bay.

Safe distancing

• Separate entries have been designated for the South Australian Sports Institute (SASI), Marion Swim Squads, SAALC Allied Health Exercise Physiology and Marion Sports Physiotherapist, Podiatrist and Sports clients.
• Signage has been installed to create organised traffic flow patterns in hallways throughout the Centre that decreases exposure times to others.
• A new marquee has been set up for Swimming Lessons entry and has reduced traffic via the front desk by 25%.
• A new marquee has been erected in the outdoor grass area to provide people in our popular group fitness classes more room to move.

Indoor air quality

• Scientists have highlighted the relationship of poor ventilation and inadequate outside air exchange to the risk of virus transmission in enclosed spaces. In response, Carbon Dioxide (CO2) meters have been installed in the main pool areas to identify spaces in need of more frequent fresh air exchanges. Air exchange settings in the Centre’s main hall have also been adjusted to meet current climate and humidity levels.
• Ultraviolet (UV) lighting has been installed in some of our smaller exercise rooms as a protection against small airborne particles that scientists have recognised as a source of coronavirus spread.
• Additional sneeze screens have been installed for staff and visitor protection in the main entrance lobby.

Cleanliness and sanitation

• Under guidance from SA Health, our Steam Room and Sauna will remain open subject to strict occupancy and time limits and cleaning. (These requirements however are subject to review and change).
• Extra cleaning measures have been implemented throughout the Centre and tailored to special needs in the Health and Wellness, Swim School, Café, Reception, Elevators and Event areas.
• 15 Elyptol hand sanitisers have been strategically placed at each entry, exit and high traffic thoroughfares throughout the Centre.

Staff training and other protective measures
Over the past 12 months more than $300,000 has been spent on measures to boost COVID-19 protection across all areas of our business and staff training has been an important component in maintaining safe operating procedures in the Centre.

• Three hundred staff members have been trained in safe COVID-19 cleaning and social distancing policies and Marshals have been designated to maintain oversight of safe practices in all areas.
• There are four or five COVID-19 marshals at any one time in the Centre (1 Chief marshal, 1 in the Café, 1 at the Front desk, 1 in the Pool areas and 1 in the Health Club. An additional Marshal is rostered when we have events.
• We have established a system of staff working ‘bubbles’ based on work functionality to avoid unnecessary contact when on duty.All meetings are conducted online via Team or Zoom, and staff are rostered to work from home on appointed days. The ‘bubbles’ have been successful in minimising health risks without sacrificing business continuity.
• We have also established program and area working bubbles to manage events, including the very successful 2021 Olympic /Paralympic Trials. Our use of QR Codes and separate entries and exits, as well as designated sterile areas will continue.

Situation Awareness
Developments surrounding Covid-19 and the new Omicron variant are monitored daily by the Centre to assess all implications for our business and community. We are committed to keeping staff and users of our facilities as safe as possible.

Covid is a community challenge, and we are fortunate that the great majority of people in SA – currently 91 per cent over 12 years of age – have recognised a responsibility towards others to be vaccinated and follow government guidelines.

We ask our staff, members, and patrons to:

• Maintain social distancing;
• Wear face masks at all times when not exercising, eating or drinking
• Get vaccinated if possible
• Stay home if unwell
• Wash their hands on entry to the Centre.
• Wipe down their Gym equipment after use

Please note that SA Health has exempted our Lifeguards from working around the pool with their masks on.

We thank you for your continued understanding and support as we work together to keep everyone safe.

We will communicate further changes as needs arise in the New Year. For any queries or feedback relating to this communication, please reach out to your operational business contact or complete a website enquiry form