ParkSide Reopening
The Board of Directors places its highest priority on the health and safety of its members, volunteers and staff, which is why they decided to suspend face-to-face programs until government, and health authorities indicated that we could resume safely. We continued active leadership and encouraged our members to remain active and connected through our ParkSide Centre Without Walls.
Throughout the pandemic, reopening the ParkSide Centre has been regular topic for discussion. At their meeting on August 12, 2021, the Executive Committee of the ParkSide Centre Board of Directors decided on a tentative reopening date for the Centre of October 1, 2021, which was ratified later by the entire Board. The Committee will meet on a weekly basis to review any new information and will postpone the reopening if necessary.
In addition to following all of the Public Health protocols, the Executive Committee has put in place two requirements for in-person participation at our programs:
- to require that participants of in-person activities and events provide Proof of full COVID-19 Vaccination with no exceptions; and
- to require that participants of in-person activities and events complete the ParkSide Centre’s COVID-19 Liability Waiver.
These decisions do not affect virtual activities.
Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health continues to remind those 70 years of age and older that they are at higher risk of severe illness if they get COVID-19. Those over 70 should discuss their participation in recreational programs with their health care provider to understand their personal risk and act accordingly.
Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination
The ParkSide Centre has decided to require Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination for in-person activities because:
- We serve a population that is inherently vulnerable to COVID-19.
- Our members have expressed strong support for a vaccination mandate.
- Public Health advises individuals in our membership demographic to receive the vaccine.
Members wishing to participate in programs in-person will be required to show or provide Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination but the ParkSide Centre will not hold a copy of the document. The decision to receive vaccinations is a personal one, and we shall continue to offer virtual activities to accommodate those who remain unvaccinated. We understand that this decision will be unpopular with some people; however, we are not interested in debating it.
How to Get Your Official Ontario COVID-19 Vaccination Receipt
If you no longer have the vaccination receipt that was given to you after you received each dose, you can still get it from the Ministry of Health by completing the steps found at https://covid19.ontariohealth.ca/
To get the information, you first need to check the box to accept the ‘terms of use’ and have a green (photo) Ontario Health Card. If you have the older red and white card, you can call the Provincial Vaccine Booking Line at 1-833-943-3900.
Expectations of Members
Members are asked to pre-screen prior to their arrival at the Centre. You can use the Province of Ontario’s assessment tool at https://covid-19.ontario.ca/self-assessment/ to do this.
If you do not feel well, please stay at home!
Upon arrival at the Centre, each member will be required to sign-in on one of our touchscreens and answer the screening questions when they appear on the screen. If the answer to any of the questions is yes, then the individual will not be able to enter the facility.
Hand washing and hand sanitizing will be of paramount importance and, as such, we will have hand sanitizer pumps in each of our program spaces. Members will be expected to use them before, during and after their programs. There are capacity limits in place in each of the program rooms that will result in program sizes being smaller.
Members will be required to wear a mask or face covering at all times while in the Centre except when they are eating, drinking or exercising. These masks should fit securely to the head with ties or ear loops, maintain their shape after washing and drying, be made of at least two layers of tightly woven material (such as cotton or linen) and be large enough to completely and comfortably cover the nose and mouth without gaping
Members will also be asked to complete a Covid-19 liability waiver.
COVID-19 Liability Waiver
The ParkSide Centre will ask their members to sign a COVID-19 Liability Waiverfor in-person activities due to three considerations:
- Due diligence regarding the known or unknown outcomes to members and the organization from possible exposure to COVID-19.
- The recommendations received from the ParkSide Centre’s insurance provider.
- The ParkSide Centre members inherent vulnerability to COVID-19.
The ParkSide Centre’s COVID-19 Liability Waiver includes:
- Guidelines for participating
- Accepting the risks of participation
- A promise to refrain from in-person activities if experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms.
The ParkSide Centre’s COVID-19 Liability Waiver provides important legal protection to each participant and volunteer from unknown outcomes that may occur from COVID-19. This path allows us to return to in-person activities sooner, for those who understand and accept the unknown outcomes.
You are not required to resubmit a waiver if we already have one on file.
