The Darts Alberta Administrator had the opportunity to participate in a conference call with government, other sport organizations, recreation facility managers and Dr. Hinshaw to better under the Launch of Stage 2 on June 12, 2020, what that means to sports and to better understand sport cohorts.
A mini-league/cohort is defined as a closed, small group of no more than 50 individuals who participate in the same sport or activity, and remain together for the duration of Stage 2. Regional could be a smaller town or broken into smaller communities within a larger city.
Many sports are permitted to resume activities with very strict safety guidelines. Social/physical distancing continues to be an expectation in restaurants, bars, community centres and service clubs where darts are played. It would be extremely difficult to social/physical distance while competing in darts. This means that NO open dart jitneys and NO open dart tournaments of any kind are allowed in Stage 2.
However, there is more flexibility for ‘cohort’ groups (mini-leagues) – small groups of people whose members cannot always keep two metres apart:
1. A household can increase its close interactions with other households to a maximum of 15 people
- This is your network of family and close friends. This does not mean that you can invite 14 people to play darts in your basement on Friday and then have another 14 different people over to play darts on Saturday. This does mean that if you are out with a family cohort, a dart board is accessible and social/physical distancing from other non-family members can be maintained, you and your family cohort can enjoy a few games of darts.
2. Sports teams can play in region-only cohorts of up to the same 50 players in what will be referred to as mini leagues.
- This means that mini dart leagues can be created in Stage 2 but strict guidelines will need to be followed. Darts Alberta is working on a sport specific guidance document. As stated by government, these same 50 individuals who participate in the same sport, activity or performing arts group, must remain together for the duration of Stage 2 and cannot change to a different cohort/mini-league unless they self-isolate for 14 days. The reason for this is to be able to easily trace and control an outbreak. Because guidelines are needed, any sort of mini dart league/cohort CANNOT be created until this guidance document is available from Darts Alberta—the governing body for darts in Alberta.
3. Individuals can be part of one sport or performing arts cohort and their household cohort.
- This means that you can have your 15 family/friends network and be involved in one sport, activity or performing arts group.
4. People CANNOT be part of two different sport/performing cohorts to minimize the risk of spread to a larger group.
- This means that in Stage 2, an individual has to choose what sport or activity or cohort to be involved in. For example, if you are part of a darts cohort, you couldn’t be part of a baseball cohort. If there are several mini dart leagues/cohorts to choose from, you will have to make a decision of which mini league/cohort to join.
5. Traveling for competition outside of your regional cohort is not permitted in Stage 2.
- This means one mini dart league cannot have a competition with a different mini dart league.
Darts Alberta is in the process of putting together a COVID-19 Safe Return to the Sport of Darts Guidance document for mini-leagues/cohorts. As the development of such a document is very new to us, we ask for your patience in getting this developed. Government resources are being made available to us to review the guidance document for any potential gaps.
Because physical distancing cannot be maintained while playing darts, Darts Alberta cannot emphasize this enough:
—No public dart jitney of any kind is permitted in Stage 2
—No public dart tournament of any kind is permitted in Stage 2
—A mini dart league/cohort CANNOT be created until the Darts Alberta guidance document is available