Tsa issues health directives for swimming stakeholders

Dar es Salaam. The Tanzania Swimming Association (TSA) has issued guidelines to be used in training and swimming competitions.

The TSA secretary general, Inviolata Itatiro, said the guidelines have been submitted to the National Sports Council (NSC), as well as to swimming clubs, coaches and ‘swimming families’ in the country. Itatiro said that - because swimming is considered a low-risk sport in which physical distancing is possible - TSA has assured the government that all swimming pools would continue to be treated with chlorine which is known to kill the coronavirus, thereby minimizing the risk of contagion.

Noting that swimming pools in Tanzania are mostly located outdoors in wide-open, well-ventilated environment, she stressed that this makes it easy to take hygienic/healthcare measures for the safety and well-being of athletes, coaches and other stakeholders. Inviolata also said all swimmers, coaches and other authorised persons would be tested before entering the sport’s venues as a matter of course. She said athletes and staff must wash their hands for at least 20 seconds, and sanitize them before they are allowed entry into the place. Also, entry by visitors, etc., is prohibited in these times of the Corvid-19 peril - unless it is essential or for good reasons. There will also be a register to record people entering the scene and it’ll be mandatory for them to sign themselves into the place in the register: staff, swimmers, parents, sponsors, etc. The number of entrants into swimming venues will be strictly limited... and they must wear face masks, maintain at least one metre social distancing from the entry point onwards. Inviolata also said that they will educate stakeholders on how to prevent spread of the pandemic, as well as assist clubs in complying with the protocols that must be followed in running the sport.