As colder weather arrives, the holidays approach, and Covid-19 cases surge, we are revising our self-certification questions to best protect our swimmers and staff and maintain as safe an environment as possible.
This new certification process, which is detailed below, will take effect on Saturday, October 31. We are sharing all of the specific questions in our new protocol so you can review it with your swimmer ahead of time and ask us any questions before these new protocols go into effect.
This new process is being implemented throughout all YWCA Evanston/North Shore operations, not only the Flying Fish. The entire organization approaches the responsibility of keeping our building safe with the utmost seriousness and we hope you will, too.
We are grateful for the integrity displayed by so many of our families who often reach out to us proactively to get guidance on travel plans or health issues within their families. Thank you for your honesty and concern. Because of your diligence and care, we have been able to keep our pools open and our programs running.
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Below are the new self-certification questions that will be asked of all swimmers in order to enter the building beginning October 31. Please review with your children so they understand the questions, can answer accurately, and are prepared for what occurs if they answer “yes” and are not permitted to enter.
In any case of a "yes" answer, Pete will notify parents.
*Have you been in close contact or staying in the same home with anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 14 days?
Yes No
If a swimmer answers “yes,” he/she will need to leave immediately, without entering the building, and will need to quarantine for 14 days.
(The CDC defines “close contact” as someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period starting from 2 days before illness onset, or, for asymptomatic patients, 2 days prior to test specimen collection -- until the time the patient is isolated. The determination of close contact should generally be made irrespective of whether the contact was wearing respiratory PPE.)
*Does anyone you live with have symptoms such as cough, fever, chills or muscle aches?
Yes No
If a swimmer answers “yes," the staff member will ask for more information but the swimmer can enter. Pete will then contact the parents to discuss symptoms, let them know the child disclosed this information, and ask that the parents monitor the child for symptoms. If the child begins to display symptoms, parents will be asked to keep the child home until the child is symptom-free for 72 hours.
*Do you currently have any symptoms such as fever, chills, cough, fatigue, headache, sore throat, loss of taste or smell, runny nose, nausea, or diarrhea?
Yes No
If a swimmer answers “yes," he/she cannot enter the building. The swimmer must stay home until he/she is symptom-free for 72 hours.
*Have you traveled outside of the State of Illinois in the last 14 days?*
Yes No
If a swimmer answers “yes,” the staff member will then ask which state was visited. If the child doesn't know OR if he/she visited a state on the City of Chicago Emergency Travel Order list (high-risk states), the swimmer cannot enter the building. There will be no exceptions to a 14-day quarantine for visiting states on Chicago's quarantine list, even if a swimmer visits a second home in a nearby state or attests that he/she had no contact with others in that state.
If a swimmer informs us that someone else in their household traveled to a high-risk state in the last 14 days, Pete will communicate with the swimmer's parents to confirm that this person is able to fully quarantine from the swimmer. If quarantine is not possible, then the swimmer will need to quarantine for 14 days from the date the person returned from the high-risk state.
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We remain deeply committed to the ongoing health and safety of our swimmers, staff members, and the entire Flying Fish community. Thank you for your commitment, too, and your flexibility as we navigate and continually adjust to this challenging situation. We truly are all in this together!
If you have specific questions, please contact Pete.
