Announcement Regarding COVID Protocols

The HCC Board has been listening to feedback from Members about the current COVID-19 protocol requirements, and has been in discussion with CurlON about them.

We are implementing the following changes to procedures, effective immediately:

  • BAR: Sure, go ahead and buy your opposition a beverage. But nobody touches a glass but their own. They come to the bar to pick it up. Groups of maximum 8 at a table, avoid going to other tables. Masks not required when sitting.
  • SWEEPING: CurlON is still highly recommending we have only one sweeper at a time, and we concur. However, providing that all parties maintain 2 meters distance while on the ice, you may now do the following:
    • Delivering team to use one sweeper only, no switching during any one rock.
    • Skip (or vice) in the house may take over sweeping anywhere after the hog line, and may sweep an opposition rock after the tee line. Once they start sweeping, the first sweeper is out of it.
    • Skip (or vice) of the opposition may sweep any one of their rocks after the hog line, or one of the throwing team’s after the tee line, but they must maintain 2 metres distance from others, and the throwing team’s skip (vice) has priority in the house.
    • In short: Sweeping mostly normal, but only one person at a time from each team can sweep! Maintain distance!
  • MATCH TIME: There is no particular need to isolate one league from another while entering or exiting the building, other than minimizing congestion and thus potential virus transfer. However, we are all vaccinated and masked. So the current requirement to “not begin an end after 85 minutes from start”, meant to have players in the lounge before the next league arrived, will be rescinded.
    • Evening leagues: Revert to our standard timing requirements – 5:00 and 7:00 matches, after 90 minutes finish the end you are in & play one more; 9:00 matches, after 105 minutes finish the end you are in & play one more. Matches starting at 6:00, 7:30 and 8:30 may play to finish.
    • Daytime leagues: Play to finish.
  • SANITIZING: Current traffic flow will be maintained: incoming groups (except Daytime leagues) flow through the basement to lower lounge, outgoing groups through the lobby to the upper lounge. This will permit sanitization procedures to continue as presently established. Thus lockers remain off limits, for the time being. To avoid congestion in lower lounge, proceed onto the ice as soon as possible.