The Scottish Government has issued advice on the current status of the Covid-19 in Scotland which can be accessed here.

Coronavirus symptoms and health advice

Common symptoms of coronavirus include:

• high temperature or fever
• cough
• shortness of breath

Public health advice can be found at: Coronavirus (COVID-19) on NHS Inform

A free helpline has been set up for people who do not have symptoms but are looking for general advice: 0800 028 2816.

In relation to sport the latest UK Department for Culture Media and Sport guidance advises:

• That there’s presently no rationale to close or cancel sporting events, but this may change as the situation evolves.
• Anyone with flu-like symptoms should avoid the risk of spreading their infection, whatever that infection may be, by staying at home and recovering.
• For those hosting sporting events, whatever their size, attendees and participants should stay up to date on the government’s latest advice on how to avoid catching or spreading the virus.
• As the situation progresses, we might advise the frail, elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions to stay away from gatherings as part of general advice aimed at minimising unnecessary contact with others.
• For those travelling to sporting events overseas, the Foreign Office’s travel advice should be followed, and travellers should note that apart from the countries and territories named in that advice, the government isn’t presently advising against travel to anywhere else.
• For those who offer community and leisure services, such as running a local football team or running a gym, hand hygiene should be strongly promoted and encouraged, and equipment and facilities should be thoroughly cleaned and wiped down as usual following use.

What does this mean for archery?

In terms of issues in the sport of archery, members should be aware, in the conduct of our sport,

• Physical contact with archery equipment, particularly with the face, mouth, proximity to eyes and the use of uncovered fingers, exposes individuals to a heightened risk of transmission.
• There is a concern where training equipment is being used and shared, arrows are being pulled and shared target faces touched.
• The recommended 2m separation between participants can be compromised on the shooting line, particularly at indoor venues.

It is for this reason that the SFAA is advising member clubs to go beyond current general advice to sport and to

• Ensure the availability of hand sanitisation materials at all venues to be used between ends
• Temporarily suspend the use of shared training equipment in coaching sessions, even if this means suspending coaching classes
• Archers to shoot at individual targets and withdraw their own arrows with only one target / one archer per butt, which will also help compliance with the 2m separation recommendation

Furthermore, and in anticipation of the escalation of the measures to combat the spread of the virus expected to be announced imminently the SFAA will implement a rolling 4 week suspension of our shoot calendar, reviewing, this suspension weekly in light of emerging advice from the relevant authorities.

European Indoor Archery Championships 2020, Lisburn

At the time of publishing EIAC is still scheduled to proceed as planned from 16th to 20th March 2020.

No travel restrictions have been implemented between the UK mainland and the island of Ireland and no health advice from the NI authorities issued in relation to this event. Members travelling to shoot at EIAC2020 should however check the event website and the NIFAA facebook pages